Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (MANILA BULLETIN)

True to his anti-corruption stance, senatorial candidate Panfilo "Ping" Lacson is calling for the Commission on Audit (COA) to be given the power to initiate investigations and file cases against those involved in corruption.

Lacson said that while the COA can expose acts of corruption, its functions are limited to being recommendatory. Also, its findings can be rendered useless if the appropriate agency does not act.

"It would be good if lawmakers gave the COA added powers. The COA's current powers are recommendatory, so it passes its findings to the appropriate agency for action. It would be better if we give it the mandate to initiate investigations and file charges," the former senator said in Filipino during a radio interview.

Lacson say this is part of a two-pronged approach that the government may adopt to improve accountability; the other "prong" being to strengthen the oversight function of Congress.

The Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate cited one instance where the COA issued notices of suspension and disallowance to the Department of Agriculture (CA) in 2023, amounting to P7.3 billion for--among others--irregular monetization of leave credits.

But he said that if the agency to which the COA referred its findings does not act, the case is as good as dead.

"If the agency to which the COA refers its findings does not act, what happens? But if you give COA the power to file charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Ombudsman, that's the COA's passion because it knows the details of the case," he said.

Lacson is also a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.