The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved the PHP12.1 billion proposed budget of the Commission on Audit (COA) for next year with raising questions regarding the agency’s officials.
During the hearing presided by committee vice chairman Rep. Celso Lobregat, the committee unanimously approved to terminate the hearing on the 2018 budget proposal of the COA with questions concerning the agency’s staff.
According to COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo, there are close to 6,000 vacant plantilla positions.
Prior to the COA budget hearing termination, Rep. France Castro of Act Teacher Party List, due to the 6,000 unfilled positions one auditor, has to audit five to six municipalities in some provinces.
Castro hopes that the appropriations committee can extend its help to expand COA’s staff.
“Mr. Chair, sana matulungan natin ang COA na madagdagan naman sana sila. Imagine 6,000 ang kailangan sa plantilla parang pangalawa yata ito sa DSWD sa nakikita ko na dapat madagdagan. Ok po ba kayo dun, Mr. Chair?” she said.
Meanwhile, Aguinaldo said the COA proposed a budget of P14.46 billion for 2018, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved only P12.11 billion.
Of the amount, PHP10.4 billion will go to personnel services, PHP480.8 million to maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), PHP271.5 million to capital outlay and PHP924.2 million retirement and life insurance premium (RLIP).
Next year’s proposed budget of COA is higher than this year’s P10.95 billion funding. | (Tina Joyce Laceda – PTV)
