Jinggoy grills COA chief in Senate budget hearing

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday confronted Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan over the results of the agency’s special audit report on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) released from 2006 to 2007.

Estrada confronted Tan during the hearing of the COA's proposed budget for 2014, which has been deferred twice as some senators continue to question the allocation.

It was the first time that Estrada grilled Tan over the COA’s special audit report since he delivered his privilege speech last month, condemning the “selective justice” which the administration supposedly launched against him and some opposition senators.

Estrada, along with Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr,  were charged for plunder before the Ombudsman in connection with alleged pork barrel scam.

Estrada asked Tan why she singled out the eight non-government organizations (NGOs) linked to Napoles when there are 74 other NGOs with questionable transactions.

“We did not find the 74 in the list of Benhur Luy,” Tan replied.

Following up on the COA chief's reply, Estrada asked: “So you mean if there will be no whistleblowers, then you won’t investigate the rest of the 74 NGOs?"

Tan made on record during the Senate hearing that the agency audited all the 82 NGOs.

She said the special audit focused on the 84 NGOs, which were contained on pages 154 to 277 of the results of the special audit report.

Estrada also challenged Tan to exert effort to find out more on the fast-food PDAF purchase of the office of House Majority Leader Boyet Gonzales.

Tan said that in Gonzales’ case, there were also questions on the use of over P80-million worth of allocations for funeral, medical and education and financial assistance.

“Part of their PDAF is released to the city of Mandaluyong," Tan said.

According to Tan, the COA has referred cases in relation to the P 2-billion use of Malampaya funds given to Palawan. 

The COA is also auditing the use of Malampaya funds which were distributed to Department of Agriculture (P 5.8-billion funds); Department of Agrarian Reform (P900-million); Department of Science and Technology (P400,000); National Housing Authority (P1.398-billion); DPWH (P7-billion); DOH, (P 745-million); PM- (P 2.1-billion): DOTC-Coast Guard (P 50-billion); DND (P 1.98-billion); DILG  (P2.140-billion); DOE (250,000) and priority projects for Palawan estimated at P 1.9-billion.)

The COA has finished its probe in the use of Malampaya funds for the DAR and Palawan, which reports have been submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Tan added that the COA has started to probe the use of the Disbursement Accelaration Program (DAP) upon the request of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Interviewed before the plenary session, Revilla called on the COA chairperson to be extra careful over her public statements especially since she admitted that the agency had committed some mistakes in the special PDAF audit report.

Tan revealed that there was some miscues between the COA and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) over the supposed PDAF use by former Rep. Way Kurat when some P 3-billion were placed under his name during the period.

“It just shows that they were being selective especially since they say they were binded by what the DBM gives them in terms of SAROs and NCAs,” Revilla said.

“You have to be careful on your statements since you are destroying the lives of persons.  I don’t think that is right.  I don’t have problems with the conduct of audit, what I find unfair is the selectiveness of the process,” Revilla said.