Duterte tasks Panelo: Ikaw na bahala kay Dick at Aguinaldo

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte is leaving it up to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo to compel the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to submit itself to an audit of its financial records.

“Ikaw na bahala diyan kay (Senator Dick) Gordon pati kay (Commission on Audit chairperson Michael) Aguinaldo ‘pag ayaw nilang sumunod,” Duterte said in his taped public address aired last Saturday.

Panelo said the government can file a petition for mandamus compelling the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct an audit of PRC.

Failure to do so can be considered “dereliction of duty,” the abogado told the President.

“Puwede po tayong mag-file ng petition for mandamus compelling COA to perform its duty to audit itong non-governmental organization like Philippine National Red Cross. At tama rin po ‘yung sinasabi niyo na ‘pag hindi ginawa ni Michael Aguinaldo, bilang head ng COA, ‘yung kanyang tungkulin, eh dereliction of duty po ‘yun,” he said.

Panelo insisted COA has jurisdiction to audit PRC, citing a provision in Republic Act No. 10072 or the Philippine Red Cross Act of 2009 that tasks the humanitarian organization to submit annually to the President a report of its accomplishment and financial condition.

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