Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for hiring 130 consultants last year without following requirements under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
In the 2021 annual audit report published late last month, COA found out the CHR did not perform any market research before signing the ₱24.457 million worth of contracts with the 130 consultants they tapped last year.
Conducting market research in hiring of consultants in government agencies is stipulated in the Government Procurement Reform Act as COA emphasized the said requirement is made to determine the “most advantageous terms” for the State.
The contracts for the hiring of the 130 consultants by the CHR were not approved by state auditors.
“None of the procurement process involving COS (contract of service) was witnessed by the resident COA, apparently disregarding the importance of transparency as the core principle of government procurement,” state auditors noted in the report.
Among those questioned in the COA report are CHR’s contracts with:
– 18 consultants at “different field of expertise” worth ₱4,968,068.18
– 16 consultants hired as “specialist in different field of expertise” worth ₱4,719,131.75
– Eight legal specialists worth ₱4,288,624.50
– 28 content creators/module developers worth ₱2,852,800
– Three consultants hired for “climate change issues” worth ₱1,475,918.17
– 17 consultants hired for “mental health advocacy issues” worth ₱1,356,000
The COA ordered CHR’s procurement division office to strictly comply with the Government Procurement Reform Act in hiring consultants or engaging in COS scheme.
In a statement, the CHR acknowledged COA’s flagging of the 130 consultants they hired last year.
“As an independent constitutional body, CHR welcomes feedback on its processes as we continually strive to improve and do better. CHR reassures the COA and the public that it has immediately acted upon its recommendations to duly comply with the standard process of RA 9184,” CHR Executive Director Atty. Jacqueline De Guia said.
De Guia added the CHR management directed all of their offices to strictly comply with the procurement process stated in the law.
She also defended the hiring of the 130 consultants as they are needed to deliver urgent human rights services to the Filipinos.
“The expedient hiring of consultants and technical services in the past years was necessary and vital in delivering the mandate of the Commission given the plight of human rights on various fronts,” said De Guia.
