President Rodrigo Duterte will answer to the Commission on Audit should the agency find violations on local government’s transactions in providing humanitarian assistance to the public, the Palace said Monday, as it defended Duterte’s remark defying CoA circulars.
“He is enjoining and calling on all the government offices, give the people what they need in times of calamities. He will be the one to answer to CoA if there are liabilities,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a press briefing with Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and several local government officials in Itogon, Benguet.
Roque explained that the context of Duterte’s remark was due to the limitations to the local government’s delivery of humanitarian assistance in times of crisis to the public.
“So, the President said, considering the post-audit of CoA, let us first give the needs of the people before we address the bulk of requirements of CoA,” he said.
“What’s important is to help the public first, and he will take up the matter with the CoA authorities if need be as they do post-audit task, he added, adding that the people who lost their houses due to Typhoon ‘‘Ompong’’ can avail calamity loans in two government-owned and controlled corporations in Pag-IBIG and Government Service Insurance System.
The Palace official said the public can avail loans amounting to P5,000 to P45,000 up to 80 percent of their contributions in Pag-IBIG, while they can avail P20,000 to P50,000 from the GSIS.
“What’s important now is that there will be no bureaucratic red tape in the release of assistance to the people as said by the President. If there are violations in CoA circulars, so be it,” said Roque.
In a post-typhoon briefing in Ilocos Norte yesterday, Duterte has called on local officials to defy “stupid” COA circulars after Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos complained about various prohibitions that CoA imposes on her local government’s transactions.
“Who’s from CoA here? Push him down the stairs so he won’t be able to file a report anymore,” said the President in Laoag City Sunday afternoon.
Marcos said the local government offices in Ilocos Norte were only allowed to request cash advances only for food of up to P15,000 even in times of calamity, adding the prohibition made the rehabilitation efforts in the province “even more difficult.”
Duterte then belittled CoA for coming up with circulars.
“Don’t believe in CoA’s circulars. You know, they just do it by circular and they expect everybody to obey. Why would I care about your circular? That’s yours,” said Duterte.
“So this CoA, some guys in the government went to jail based on a circular and other guy went scot-free because of the same circular. It would depend on where the swing of the legal arguments there,” he added.
Elated by Duterte’s comments about COA, Marcos also complained that the COA had issued an audit observation memorandum against Ilocos Norte for applying for too many loans since the onset of monsoon rains in August.
“Tell COA Duterte told them to shut up,” the President told Marcos.