LGUs to COA: Let’s work together

CEBU, Philippines - What was supposed to be a discussion on best practices and common struggles of local government unit officials turned out as an avenue for LGU chiefs to air their concerns against the Commission on Audit.

During the second day of the Good Governance Dialogue yesterday at the Crown Regency Hotels and Towers in Cebu City, a governor and four mayors in Visayas participated in the “Talakayan on Good Governance” where they were asked on their good practices that other LGU executives may possibly apply in their respective localities.

Mayor Teresa Debuque of Anilao, Iloilo expressed though that while they have so many projects planned for their towns and cities, it is “disheartening” that these projects are barred because of the misconception that they are proposed by “corrupt” government officials.

The COA is tasked to “examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the government.”

It is also responsible for “promulgating accounting and auditing rules and regulations including those for the prevention and disallowance of irregular, un-necessary, excessive, extravagant or unconscionable expenditures, or uses of government funds and properties.”

“Hindi lahat ng public servants magnanakaw,” Debuque said, adding that there are still a lot of good public servants with good projects but hindered by the public’s supposed wrong generalization.

Tuburan, Cebu Mayor Democrito Diamante backed Debuque’s sentiments, saying that there are still a lot of politicians who are clean and transparent and even shell out from their own pockets to fund projects for their localities.

Diamante raised that the concern with COA is on the way it interprets its rules.

“Kanya-kanyang interpretation sila sa batas nila,” Diamante said.

He added that they hope to get the understanding from COA on the work they do, the LGUs being the ones in the frontline.

“Dapat sana maging cooperative sila sa amin, ang tingin nila sa amin kalaban eh,” Diamante said.

Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla of Jagna, Bohol said while they understand COA’s rules on allowed menus for projects, sometimes there are proposals that are really needed to be undertaken because of the people’s clamor.

“Menus are menus, policies are policies. But it’s disheartening because the people think that ‘eto talaga ang kailangan namin, bakit kayo magdidikta sa amin,’” Abrenilla said.

From experience,  Abrenilla said they have submitted budget and project proposals for their municipalities only to be slashed by COA.

Abrenilla, who once worked with the National Economic Development Authority, said he was guilty of not understanding the LGUs’ needs before, as NEDA’s proposed projects were too focused on the macroeconomic scale.

As a result, Abrenilla said some of the proposals and projects they forwarded to the grassroots were not implemented.

No COA representatives were present in yesterday’s forum since according to organizers, COA was already represented during the first leg of the Good Governance Dialogues in Luzon.

The Visayas leg brought together around 200 heads of local government units and civil society organizations from Regions 6, 7 and 8 to discuss good governance, open government and the national budget. — (FREEMAN)