COA employees express support for new chief

MANILA, Philippines - Employees of the Commission on Audit (COA) expressed support yesterday for new chair Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan, a former undersecretary of the Department of Finance (DOF).

However, members of the Philippine Government Audit Service Employees Association (PHILGASEA) said President Aquino should pick someone from the inside next time instead of appointing an outsider.

Echoing the sentiments of some 8,000 COA personnel, the employees’ union said they nevertheless expect Tan to do a good job.

In a manifestation of support, PHILGASEA president Gloria Galanida-Calvario said honesty, integrity, and high moral standard are needed for the COA chair.

“The important thing is that the next COA chairman has the integrity since this is what the agency needs these days,” she said.

“We believe that with her (Tan) vast experience in the government and private service, she can put new inputs to the agency.”

Calvario believes that with proper coordination and help from everyone, Tan will be able to perform her duty even though she is from the outside.

“With the help of her staff to see to it that she will be duly informed with the internal rules, it would be easy for her to adjust,” she said.

Tan was a tax consultant and a former independent director for the Asia United Bank and the Rural Bank of Angeles before she was named COA chair early this week.

She was a commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) from October 2002 to 2003.

Lawmakers welcome Tan appointment

Lawmakers welcomed the appointment of Tan and Heidi Mendoza as COA chair and commissioner, respectively.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Filipino people have high expectations from Mendoza.

“I think that Heidi Mendoza is better in that position being a COA commissioner,” he said.

“Like what she did in exposing the corrupt practices of (former military comptroller) Carlos Garcia, we hope that Mendoza will continue this on other government agencies because the Filipino people are expecting a lot from her.

“As to whether a whistleblower should be appointed to a government position, it depends upon the competence and credibility of the whistleblower. I think it should be on a case-to-case basis.”

Colmenares said Mendoza is not really a whistleblower in the sense that she was not a co-conspirator in the crime.

She is an expert witness “which makes her a good choice for cleaning up not just the COA bureaucracy but the whole government bureaucracy as well,” he added.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said Mendoza’s appointment could be the best thing that ever happened to the agency if followed by aggressive and concerted actions.

“Mendoza’s integrity and competence should be made to infect and animate the entire bureaucracy, otherwise she will just end up as a useless decoration,” he said.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said he hopes that Mendoza would be true to her mandate to uncover and prevent irregular spending, not only in national government but in local governments as well. – With Paolo Romero