COA: Health department had chance to respond to flagged spending

MANILA, Philippines — The head of the Commission on Audit on Tuesday rejected a lawmaker’s assertion that its report flagging deficiencies in how the Department of Health spent P67.32 billion meant for pandemic response last year was premature.

COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo’s remarks came as he faced lawmakers during a House Committee on Public Accounts hearing on the commission's findings.

"There are constant meetings with the management," he said in mixed English and Filipino. "There is also an exit conference, so it’s not correct to say there was no due process."

Aguinaldo made the statement after Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (Sagip Party-list)’ questioned the publication of the audit report — something that the COA routinely does.

Marcoleta called the audit “premature” as he said the commission had not yet received DOH’s compliance reports at the time. 

"COA should have been careful," he said in Filipino. "Give DOH the chance to submit the requirements."

But, Aguinaldo said at the start of the hearing, COA did give the health department time to submit its documents. The DOH missed a June 30 deadline to do so.

"So it’s not correct that they were not heard at all," the COA chief added.

The annual audit found deficiencies in DOH's spending, which the commission said, could have been done better to better address the pandemic.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said during the hearing that the audit report had damaged the department's reputation.

"I haven’t been able to sleep," he also said in Filipino. "This is really unfair [and] unjust, that this judgement has been handed down clearly without giving DOH the full 60 days."

President Rodrigo Duterte, in defense of his health secretary, cursed at COA and said audit reports should not be published prematurely.

But Aguinaldo, who heads a constitutional commission independent from the executive branch, said auditors will perform their mandate as usual. 

“In so far as the work of the Commission on Audit [is concerned], we will go on,” he told lawmakers. — Christian Deiparine