Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 30) — The deployment of state prosecutors and auditors as deputy ombudsmen in various government agencies is expected to start in September, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Monday.
In a message to reporters, Guevarra said the memorandum of agreement which will be the basis for the deployment is due to be signed by the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the Commission on Audit this week.
After having assumed their posts, it is unclear however if the deputies will probe the alleged irregularities in the use of funds by agencies which were flagged by the COA in its latest annual audit reports.
The Justice Secretary said they “will take the cue” from Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
“For now, we’ll let the government agencies called out by the COA to comply with the latter’s recommendations, rectify any deficiencies found in their accounting records, and explain other audit observations made by the COA on the use of government funds,” Guevarra added.
He also said the 2020 audit findings will “provide a good starting point” for the resident ombudsmen.
Among the observations earlier reported by the COA are “deficiencies” in the Department of Health’s management of over ₱67-billion worth of pandemic funds.
The commission has said these contributed to the challenges faced by the agency in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. The DOH, for its part, has maintained the deficiencies only involved pending documents and compliance with procedures, and not lost funds.
Due to pandemic-related risks, Guevarra said they will do away with the planned MOA signing ceremony and instead circulate a copy of the agreement for individual signing by the principal parties.
