Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has called for the immediate resignation of Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana over what he called a clear constitutional violation as well as conflict of interest.

This, after Tinio brought up and dissected in detail the over ₱505.13 million in government contracts awarded to the construction company owned by Lipana's wife during COA's budget hearing Thursday, Sept. 11 with the Committee on Appropriations.

"The Constitution is clear, the COA chair's admission is clear, and the solution must be equally clear: Commissioner Lipana must resign immediately," the militant solon said during his interpellation of COA.

Tinio revealed that Lipana's wife, Marilou Laurio Lipana, serves as President and General Manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines, which received at least nine government contracts for flood control projects and farm-to-market road in Bulacan totaling ₱326.609 million in 2025.

This is apart from the two completed flood control projects totaling P178.52 million in 2024.

"This is a clear-cut violation of Article 9, Section 2 of the Constitution which states that no member of a constitutional commission shall be financially interested directly or indirectly in any contract with the government," Tinio said.

"Walang pagdududa dito—may malinaw na paglabag sa Konstitusyon (There is no room for doubt--there's clear violation of the Constitution)."

Tinio was able to draw an admission from no less than COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba that Commissioner Lipana's situation with his contractor wife represents a constitutional violation.

"Is there a violation of the constitution sa ganitong sitwasyon (in this situation)?" the Makabayan solon asked Cordoba, to which the latter responded: "Sa pagtingin ko po, medyo meron po (In my view, there seems to be one)."

Tinio's interpellation uncovered the massive ongoing contracts that were previously not disclosed to the public.

"Batay sa dokumentong isinumite ng COA, mayroong siyam na mga proyekto ngayong taon ang kumpanya ng asawa ni Commissioner Lipana na umabot na sa mahigit P326 million. Sa siyam na proyektong ito, lima ang nagkaroon na ng first partial payment. Bukod pa ito sa dalawang proyektong nasa Sumbong sa Pangulo website na nagkakahalaga namang P178.5 million." he said.

(Based on the document submitted by the COA, the company owned by Commissioner Lipana’s spouse has nine projects this year amounting to over P326 million. Of these nine projects, five have already received a first partial payment. In addition, there are two more projects listed on the Sumbong sa Pangulo website worth P178.5 million.)

Cordoba also admitted there was a "potential conflict of interest" in the case of his subordinate.

Commissioner Lipana skipped Thursday's budget hearing. He is reportedly receiving medical treatment in Singapore and won't return home until month's end.

Tinio stressed that that commissioner's prolonged absence compound the constitutional violation. "Habang nasa Singapore siya nagpapagamot for months, ang asawa niya ay kumikita ng milyun-milyong piso mula sa government contracts (While he is receiving medication in Singapore for months, his wife rakes in millions worth of profits from government contracts). This is not just a conflict of interest—this is a mockery of our Constitution."

That this issue was raised amid the alleged massive corruption in government-funded flood control projects was not lost on the solon.

“Marami po, dismayado sa COA na parang ang feeling ng maraming kababayan natin, 'Nasan kayo? Natutulog ba kayo sa pansitan?' O mas masagwa pa nga, baka kasabwat din kayo dito. Tapos ngayon, meron po tayong commissioner na may malinaw na financial interest sa mga kontrata ng flood control na pinagbabawal ng Konstitusyon,” he noted.

(Many people are disappointed with the COA, and it’s like a lot of our fellow citizens are asking, ‘Where are you? Are you asleep at the noodle shop?’ Or worse, maybe you’re even complicit in this. And now, we have a commissioner with a clear financial interest in flood control contracts, which are prohibited by the Constitution.)

"Kaya alang-alang po sa kredibilidad ng COA, hindi ba dapat mag-resign na ang commissioner na ito? (Shouldn't this commissioner resign in the interest of protecting COA's credibility?) How can the [COA] maintain its integrity when one of its commissioners is constitutionally disqualified from serving?" he asked Cordoba.

"This is not about the quality of flood control projects. This is about the fundamental principle that constitutional commissioners cannot profit from government contracts," Tinio said after the briefing.