STATE AUDITORS have suspended the creation of special audit teams and releasing reports involving candidates who will run in the 2022 elections to avoid allegations of political partisanship.
“Immediate but untimely action on these complaints and appeals would create a dangerous impression that this Commission is favoring or disfavoring any election candidate,” the Commission on Audit (CoA) said in its latest resolution.
CoA Resolution 2021-024, issued by CoA chair Michael G. Aguinaldo and commissioner Roland C. Pondoc, puts on hold special or fraud audits involving politicians who filed certificates of candidacy or nomination before the Commission on Elections.
These audit activities will resume after May 9, 2022, the scheduled voting day.
However, initial assessment and evaluation of requests for special audits will not be suspended. Audit teams not affected by this resolution would also continue to operate.
“When election period approaches, a number of complaints and request for special (or) fraud audits against election candidates are normally received by this commission,” according to the resolution.
The resolution also comes as the Senate continues their investigation on the procurement of pandemic supplies following the CoA’s findings that there are flagged fund transfers to the Budget department’s procurement arm.
Mr. Aguinaldo said before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that state auditors have launched a special audit on the government’s deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
House lawmakers, mostly allies of the current administration, have insisted that the government’s deals with Pharmally were above board. They have already terminated their probe into the matter. — Russell Louis C. Ku