DIFFICULT TASK | Ex-COA official says guidelines clear in auditing confidential, intelligence funds

September 27, 2023 , 01:12 PM

(September 27, 2023) – A former commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA) on Tuesday admitted the difficulty of inspecting confidential and intelligence expenditures because of their nature but she stressed that the existing guidelines must be strictly followed.

Heidi Mendoza pointed out that auditors from the Intelligence and Confidential Audit Unit, which is under the COA chairperson’s office, are the ones assigned to evaluate such transactions, not regular auditors.

“Ang nakikita lang ng auditor ay voucher for cash advance but ‘yung liquidation ng cash advance na ‘yun ay hindi niya makikita kasi ididiretso ‘yan in a form of certification,” said Mendoza on News5’s Frontline Tonight.

But Mendoza reminded that government agencies must keep their receipts in case of further inspections by COA in line with the current guidelines.

“Kapag very glaring na nakita mo na ‘yung resibo is not in accordance with the joint circular, definitely hindi puwedeng bigyan ng clearance ng liquidation ng cash advance. Kapag unliquidated ‘yung cash advance mo at ‘di ka binigyan ng clearance, hindi ka puwede mag-draw ng another advance,” explained Mendoza.

In 2015, the COA issued a joint circular with several other government agencies on the audit of confidential and intelligence funds “to prevent mishandling or improper application.”

COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba told lawmakers last month that they will review the existing guidelines following the increase in the allocations of confidential and intelligence funds over the years.

Of the P5.768 trillion proposed national budget for next year, the administration of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. wants P10.14 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds.

Many groups have expressed concerns because even civilian agencies whose mandates are not remotely related to national security were able to get this request.

Among them is the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. Last year, the OVP received P125 million worth of confidential funds even if it had no allocation for such in the original budget.

More importantly, the COA revealed that the OVP spent the hefty allocation in just 11 days, translating to an average spending of P11.3 million per day.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the OVP’s confidential funds may be unconstitutional because the transfer is a fund augmentation. He also showed a copy of OVP’s letter to the Department of Budget and Management last year where it originally requested P250 million in confidential funds.

“Was there a proper augmentation? The second question is, can confidential funds in the OVP be augmented when the 2022 GAA (General Appropriations Act) appropriated or allotted zero for this particular item of expenditure?” asked Lagman.

Citing conflict of schedule, the House of Representatives postponed yesterday the deliberations on the budget of the OVP but it has already continued today.

(PM)

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