ANNUAL COA AUDIT REPORTS AS VERY EFFECTIVE TOOL IN PROMOTING REFORMS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

The documents supporting this complaint of Mr. Bob Aquino against some former and incumbent officials of Agusan del Sur are the COA annual audit reports from 2005 to 2010. Why does it need for a citizen especially a politician like Bob Aquino to file the complaint when COA could have done it itself not just against officials of Agusan del Sur who may have committed irregularities but all public officials in all local government units all over the country who are found to have committed irregularities in the management of public funds? If COA does the filing of cases at the Ombudsman on their own, then real reforms will take place all over  the country and new potential leaders will come out in 2013 as the erring incumbent officials will not be able to run due to disqualification or at the least be exposed to the people for who they are!

Agusan Sur execs face graft raps By Ben Serrano The Philippine Star Updated October 30, 2011 12:00 AM 2 comments to this post

BAYUGAN CITY, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines – Former and incumbent officials of this province are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly not liquidating cash advances amounting to P852,087,991.20 from 2003 to 2010. In a 13-page complaint filed by Agusan del Sur Liberal Party district chairman Roberto “Bob” Aquino, graft charges were filed against former governor Adolph Edward Plaza, his sister former Agusan del Sur governor now Congresswoman Maria Valentina Galido, provincial accountant Joy Lagat, budget officer Francisco Cejuela, former treasurer Celsa Sanchez and several other provincial officials. Aquino cited the annual reports of the Commission on Audit, which said the cash advances of the provincial government from 2003 to 2010 have not been liquidated. He said the unliquidated cash advances are as follows: P52.6 million (2005); P87.9 million (2007); P94.1 million (2008); P159.6 million (2009); and P203.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2009. Aquino’s lawyer, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) national president Jose Grapelon told The STAR in a mobile phone interview he hoped that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will immediately act on the complaint. “I understand Ombudsman Morales is serious to go after big fishes and has set a time frame for early resolution of all graft cases.This is good, it will help President Aquino’s anti-corruption campaign as the public are now eager to see how serious really is the President in his Matuwid Na Daan campaign” Grapelon said.