THE United Nationalist Alliance on Thursday slammed the Commission on Audit for allegedly providing incomplete reports on the Makati City Hall building and pronouncing Vice President Jejomar Binay guilty of corruption before a case against him was filed before a court.
“Only the courts can decide whether a person is guilty of a crime,” UNA president Toby Tiangco said.
He warned the commission that it could be held liable for violating a 2015 resolution and its own rules after it released an incomplete report on the Makati City Hall Building 2 as reported in media.
He said the CoA report was part of the Liberal Party’s grand design to demolish Binay and his family.
“We have received information that a public relations consultant working for the Ombudsman provided copies of the CoA report to select reporters. If the case against us is strong, would there be any need for underhanded tactics?” Gatchalian said.
“This project has passed 11 regular audits. It is very clear that a special audit team was created for the “special” purpose of being used as a demolition team against VP Binay.”
The lawyer of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay said the CoA, like the Ombudsman, was clearly biased against the Binays and had overstepped its mandate.
“CoA is clearly biased as it has no authority to determine who is guilty of a crime. Its mandate is merely to audit government expenditures and to determine if the same are allowable,” Claro Certeza said.
He said the mayor’s camp had not received a copy of the CoA report.
“The commission could be held liable for violating CoA Resolution 2015-033 dated September 29, 2015, prohibiting the conduct of special audit against candidates in the 2016 elections,” Tiangco said.
“As UNA president, I wrote CoA to request them to abide by their own rules. I asked that they apply the resolution equally to all candidates.”
In his letter dated Feb. 21, Tiangco said he had received many complaints from UNA candidates about continuing harassment and political persecution.
“I therefore request your strict adherence to CoA Resolution 2015-033 and the principles set out therein,” he said.
“Until the termination of the 2016 elections, the Honorable Commission should accordingly desist from acting upon any and all complaints against all candidates in the 2016 national and local elections and not issue any resolutions, rulings or decisions for or against any candidate to avoid the unwitting use of the Commission for partisan political purposes.”
