The Commission on Audit (COA) has the sole discretion to configure its audit reports and no entity should tell how it should exercise its mandate, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday, August 23. Hontiveros said she takes exception to President Duterte telling the COA to “reconfigure” its...
The Commission on Audit (COA) has disallowed in audit some P318.572 million representing tax refunds that were issued despite alleged violations of the complete documentary requirements and “mandatory and jurisdictional conditions” in its grant by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) . Bureau...
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday, August 22 appealed to fellow lawmakers to maintain objectivity as they seek the truth about the government’s COVID-19 response, saying they should not pass judgment too early without knowing all the facts. Go, who chairs the Senate health committee...
After being flagged by Commission on Audit (COA) for underutilization of funds and accounting irregularities, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now strategizing to fully utilize its budget for this year. Agriculture Secretary William Dar (Photo courtesy of Malacañang) At the same time, the DA...
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (Malacañang photo) Due process must be followed before any government official can be suspended from his position, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Thursday, Aug. 19. “Kung sususpendihan ka, may proseso iyan. May imbestigasyon,...
A senior administration lawmaker on Thursday, August 19 proposed the reactivation of the pre-audit system of examining disbursements of public funds to address controversies triggered by adverse audit findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) on government agencies. Rep. Rida Robes San Jose del...
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday urged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to assume full responsibility for the supposed deficiencies in his agency’s handling of COVID-19 pandemic funds instead of blaming others for the Department of Health’s (DOH) problems. “Certainly,...
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday pressed Lloyd Christopher Lao, a former aide of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, to explain to the Senate the circumstances behind the Department of Health’s (DOH) transfer of P42.4-billion budget to the Department of Budget and Management’s...
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar felt the heat of social media bashing after he was perceived to have defended Health Secretary Francisco Duque III over the P67 billion fund that was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA). During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum,...
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has labeled as "misleading" the news reports saying that only a measly 1 percent of its P5.56-billion fund for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic ended up being...
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Agriculture (DA) for billions of unspent funds and accounting "irregularities" prompting several farmers’ groups to slam the government agency led by Agriculture Secretary William Dar. Agriculture Secretary William Dar (Photo courtesy of...
In near tears during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, August 16, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III accused the Commission on Audit of destroying the good image of the Department of Health with the latter’s release of an audit report detailing serious adverse findings in the disbursement by...
