Duterte wants COA to release report at year’s end: Give agencies enough elbow room

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to release its report “at least at the end of the year” to give the government agencies enough time to collate and validate documents.

In his pre-recorded Talk to the People aired on PTV-4 yesterday, Duterte appealed for an “elbow room” so the government’s Covid-19 responders can effectively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, COA, in its 2020 audit report, cited “deficiencies” in last year’s spendings of different agencies such as the Department of Health, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Ports Authority, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

“You do not conduct unnecessarily ‘yung mga audit na audit na ongoing pa. We are fighting a pandemic,” the country’s chief executive said.

“Do you know what is pandemic is? It’s the tallest in the ladder sa mga sakit, ang epidemic is local, pandemic is worldwide, lahat nagsa-suffer. They are fighting a war against an enemy na hindi natin nakikita.

“Give them an enough elbow room to move. At saka ‘yang sabi ninyong documentation, alam ninyo ‘pag pandemic skeletal force lahat. Inyong opisina, lahat kayo sa gobyerno, alam ninyo ‘yan,” he added.

Duterte likewise addressed the concerns brought up by Congress regarding unused government funds, citing the agencies’ difficulties in carrying out their programs due to lack of manpower as a result of government restrictions.

“Hindi nga basta-basta ma-implement ang program, you know, walang tao. Walang opisina dito that employs thousands of personnel who will go out to implement a program of government,” according to him.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)