4Ps solon asks COA to extend document retention past 10 years

4Ps party-list Representative JC Abalos urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to extend its document retention period beyond 10 years to align with longer prescriptive periods for crimes involving public funds.

This concern was raised during COA's budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, where the CoA sought a proposed budget of P15.24 billion for 2026.

Abalos highlighted that COA's current rules stipulate that documents not under inquiry or investigation are disposed of after 10 years, while prescriptive periods for offenses like graft, corruption, bribery, and malversation can extend up to 15 to 20 years.

He pointed out the significant gap between COA's retention policy and the legal timelines for prosecuting such financial crimes, citing recent investigations into flood control projects that may date back a decade or more.

Abalos questioned if COA was considering amending its rules or recommending legislation to reconcile its retention period with the longest applicable prescriptive periods for crimes.

COA sponsor and Davao del Sur Representative John Tracy Cagas responded that documents currently under inquiry or litigation are retained indefinitely, but the 10-year period applies to others.