Duterte understands COA mandate on public funds

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stated that President Rodrigo Duterte fully understands the Commission on Audit's (COA) constitutional mandate to protect public funds.

Duterte had previously asked the COA to refrain from flagging government agencies during the document processing stage, expressing concern that such actions might wrongly imply corruption.

Malacañang later clarified that the President's request was specifically about halting the release of preliminary audit findings, not the final annual reports.

Guevarra explained that Duterte's main concern lies in how COA's initial findings are publicly presented, potentially creating a negative impression before agencies can fully comply.

The Justice Secretary also noted that government agencies often face challenges due to the demanding nature of collating and submitting supporting documents required by COA.

Guevarra suggested that agencies should be given sufficient time to correct any noted deficiencies before any conclusions are drawn about their accountability.