House of Representatives Not Exempted from COA Audit, Says Majority Leader
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Zamboanga City, Philippines – The House of Representatives is not exempt from being audited by the Commission on Audit (COA), according to House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Representative Mannix Dalipe. In a recent radio interview, Dalipe emphasized the House’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
“The reporting, the auditing that the COA is seeking is clean. The House of Representatives isn’t exempted from this. We submit what the COA asks from us, we submit them all,” said Dalipe.
To support his claims, Dalipe cited a COA certification dated October 2, 2023, which revealed that as of September 30, 2023, the House had received no notices of suspension, disallowance, or charge. Additionally, a COA report published on July 6 highlighted the House’s budget surplus of P4.69 billion in its 2022 allocations, affirming the financial health of the institution.
“Lahat ng kailangan na i-submit ng House of Representatives, lahat ng kung anong kailangan i-liquidate, ginagawa po ‘yan, nirereport ng House of Representatives sa [COA],” Dalipe added. (Everything that the House needs to submit, everything that has to be liquidated, we do that, the House of Representatives reports it to COA.)
Dalipe further emphasized that the COA audit process extends to all 312 members of the House, with no suspensions, disallowances, or notices of charge found.
This statement came in response to allegations made by former president Rodrigo Duterte, who suggested that Congress was not being subjected to COA audits. Duterte had previously challenged COA to disclose the utilization of public funds by members of Congress in previous years.
The reassurance from Dalipe highlights the commitment of the House of Representatives to financial transparency and accountability. As the COA continues its audit process, the House aims to maintain a clean record and uphold its responsibility to the Filipino people.
