COA chief urged to finish term

MANILA, Philippines - Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan of the Commission on Audit (COA) was urged yesterday to complete her term up to Feb. 2, 2015 before she accepts an appointment to the Supreme Court or any other post.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City in Cavite said if the COA chief quits to accept another job, the prosecution of lawmakers involved in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam might be affected.

Malacañang believes either Tan or Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza are competent to replace Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto Abad, who will retire in May.

Barzaga said it is under Tan’s stewardship of the audit commission that the pork barrel scam was exposed.

He said the reforms that the COA boss has initiated in her agency and in the government’s auditing rules might just go to naught.

“When she accepted the COA chairmanship on Feb. 2, 2011, she entered into a social contract with the people to serve her term up to Feb. 2, 2015. She strongly stated that the commission’s commitment is to strengthen its relationship with various stakeholders and to increase transparency and accountability in government,” he added. “Tan also stressed that COA simply wanted to make things right in the matter of how the people’s money is being spent and vowed to continue her work as relentlessly, courageously and competently as possible. Consequently, the published reports that she accepted the nomination to be a justice of the Supreme Court might amount to a disservice to the nation, most especially if we have to consider that the pork barrel scam came into light on account of the COA findings,” he stressed.

Barzaga, who is a lawyer-accountant, said in the interest of public accountability, the COA chief should finish her term and oversee the completion of more audit reports on pork barrel funds.

He said the writers of the Constitution have given members of the COA and other autonomous commissions specific terms of office for them to finish their tenure and do their job without fear of being dismissed, except through the impeachment process.

Tan, a former finance undersecretary, has been nominated to be a justice of the Supreme Court.

Her COA colleague, Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, is still holding her post on a temporary basis since the Commission on Appointments (CA) has not yet confirmed her appointment.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is facing a plunder case before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly misusing his pork barrel funds and taking kickbacks, has vowed to block Mendoza’s confirmation.

During the last CA hearing, Mendoza told reporters that Estrada and other senators identified with “a man who wants to be President” and against whom she had adverse audit findings were blocking her appointment.

She was obviously referring to Vice President Jejomar Binay, who has declared his ambition to become President. 

She had written adverse audit reports against Binay and his wife, who alternately served as Makati mayor.

Mendoza might take over Tan’s job if the latter is appointed SC justice, since she is the most senior audit commission member after the COA chief. 

Up to JBC

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, meanwhile, stressed in a press briefing yesterday that the decision to choose nominees is entirely up to the Judicial and Bar Council.

“He’s (Jardeleza) very qualified. His years in practice as a private practitioner and also now as solicitor general, and previously as deputy ombudsman... his record speaks for itself,” Lacierda said, adding he could vouch for Jardeleza since they had worked more directly with each other.

“With respect to Chairman Grace Tan, again, her record also speaks for itself,” he said.

Prior to being named COA chief in April 2011, Tan, a certified public accountant and lawyer, served as finance undersecretary and commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government during the Arroyo administration.

“She has shown her competence in both the private and public sector; in the public sector as official of various agencies with PCGG, with DOF (Department of Finance), now with the Commission on Audit,” he said.

Lacierda said the JBC would have to trim down the list and President Aquino “normally keeps a distance” until such time that the final list is submitted to him.

“He takes time to sit down with the nominees and interview them and assess and gauge those in the list,” he added.

The nominee that President Aquino will eventually choose to replace Abad will be his fifth appointee to the 15-member SC, while the rest are appointees of his predecessor and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Apart from Tan and Jardeleza, other candidates for the posts are seven Court of Appeals justices, two Sandiganbayan justices, a regional trial court judge, the dean of the De La Salle University-College of Law, and a COA commissioner.

The seven CA Justices are: Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, Apolinario Bruselas, Rosmari Carandang, Ramon Paul Hernando, Jose Reyes, Noel Tijam and Andres Reyes Jr.

The candidates from the Sandiganbayan are Associate Justices Maria Cristina Cornejo and Rafael Lagos.

Meanwhile, Reynaldo Daway, presiding judge at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 90, is the lone trial court judge eyed for the position.

DLSU Law Dean Jose Manuel Diokno is also vying for the post.

Apart from Tan, another COA official, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, has also applied for the position. With Aurea Calica