Duterte accuses state auditors of corruption

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 31) — President Rodrigo Duterte once again slammed the Commission on Audit, this time accusing it of corruption.

During his taped public addressed aired Tuesday morning, Duterte challenged the COA to publish the number of criminal cases filed against its General Auditing Office.

"Dapat 'yung…inyong mga kaso sa Ombudsman, dapat i-publishin (Your cases with the Ombudsman should be published) but there's a law which says that you cannot do that. And we should respect that because that is for everybody," he said.

"But on your own, why don't you publish the number of criminal cases filed against…itong (this) GAO, General Auditing Office, involving corruption also? Mas masahol 'yan...eh bribery, tinutulungan pa ninyo mag-falsify, mag-fraud (That's worse, it involves bribery and you are helping them falsify and commit fraud)," he added.

This is the latest of the chief executive's tirades against state auditors after they flagged government agencies for mismanagement of public funds.

The COA is not exempt from its own auditing efforts. State auditors has questioned their own colleagues at the Commission's central office, noting that over ₱12.3 million or 99% of their cash advances for foreign and local travel remain unliquidated as of end-2020.