HOUSE Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe has said that the Commission on Audit (COA) has formally attested to the chamber’s clean audit standing, contradicting any allegations put forward by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dalipe cited a COA certification dated October 2, 2023, which confirmed that as of September 30, 2023, the House has no notices of suspension, disallowance, or charge. Furthermore, underscoring the House’s financial health, the COA report published last July 6 highlighted that the House had a budget surplus of P4.69 billion in its 2022 allocations.
“Lahat ng kailangan na i-submit ng House of Representatives, lahat ng kung anong kailangan i-liquidate, ginagawa po ‘yan, nirereport ng House of Representatives sa Commission on Audit,” Dalipe said.
He added: “In fact, meron pong statement, in fact, kumuha ako mismo ng kopya ‘nung statement ng Commission on Audit wala pong notice of disallowance, wala pong notice of charge, wala pong notice of suspension ang ating House of Representatives. Ibig sabihin po clear po, walang problema ang House of Representatives tungkol sa anumang pondo na binibigay sa Kongreso para i-utilize at i-liquidate.”
Dalipe’s statement comes in light of allegations by former President Duterte suggesting that Congress was not being subjected to COA audits.
In the interview, Dalipe made it clear that such claims are unfounded and that the House is held to the same rigorous auditing standards as any government agency.
According to Dalipe, the COA certification is a clear indicator that the House is in full compliance with the auditing procedures set forth by the state audit body.
“Malinis po ‘yung reporting, ang auditing na hinihingi po ng Commission on Audit. Hindi po exempted ang House of Representatives. Nagsa-submit po kami sa mga hinihingi ng Commission on Audit, sina-submit po namin lahat,” Dalipe pointed out.
He said the CoA audit process has been extended to all 312 House members, with no suspensions, disallowances, or notices of charge found.
Duterte had previously issued a challenge to COA, urging it to disclose the utilization of public funds by members of Congress in previous years.
He said that the House members were saddened by the statements made by the former president, all while pondering the timing of these remarks.
“Marami kaming congressman na incumbent ngayon sa 19th Congress, nagsilbi rin noong 18th Congress at hindi namin malimutan ‘yung mga hiningi ng dating pangulong Duterte na suporta mula sa Kamara de Representantes, sa Kongreso,” Dalipe stressed.
metrosundaily
