‘Jetsetting’ COA chief slammed

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan’s supposed love for travel was exposed after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada singled her out for what he called “selective justice” in its special audit report from 2007 to 2009.

Estrada said Tan traveled abroad five times in 2010, then nine more times the following year. In 2012, she went abroad 10 times and as of August 2013, she already traveled abroad nine times.

“Kahindik hindik, di po ba? (Spectacular, isn’t it?),” Estrada said, echoing Tan when she exposed the results of the COA audit earlier this month.

Estrada raised concerns that Tan may not have been focusing on her job simply because she is often out of the country.

During his privilege speech yesterday, Estrada hardly dwelt on the accusations of whistle-blower Benhur Luy over the scam perpetrated by Janet Lim-Napoles.

Luy revealed the pork barrel scam involving Napoles and some lawmakers in a Senate hearing just before the Department of Justice recommended the filing of plunder charges against Napoles and the lawmakers involved in the scam, including Estrada, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

“We were painted as thieves… the people’s minds are being conditioned, that no matter how we deny these and no matter how we explain, our sides fell on deaf ears,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he is ready to face the accusations and defend himself at the proper forum.

In the plenary, Sen. Vicente Sotto III sought clarifications over the release of the COA reports.

Estrada cited COA guidelines which provide that no COA report of whatever nature shall be released to any person until a copy of the report has been officially transmitted to and received by the head of the government agency being audited.

The COA guidelines are strictly followed by the state auditors, who also pointed out another provision that “since the findings in the audit reports are appealable to the Commission Proper (CP), no member thereof may give an opinion, remark or comment which may preempt the CP in its decision making function or may cast doubt on the impartiality and objectivity of the member, and even cause his disqualification from participating in the deliberation of the case for showing undue interest or bias.”

Under the COA memorandum, auditors and the directors supervising them were told to strictly follow the reporting standards lest they violate the rules under Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.