The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Sunday (Sept. 12) issued a statement stating that they have “faithfully accounted for the use of such funds,” after some government officials called for an audit of the organization’s transactions with the government.
According to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in a radio interview also on Sunday, the administration can ask the court to compel the PRC to submit their financial records for scrutiny, in view of President Rodrigo Duterte’s calls to PRC Chair and Senator Richard Gordon to open the humanitarian organization’s financial records.
READ MORE: Panelo: Gov’t can go to court to compel PRC to submit financial records
The PRC added that the Commission on Audit has not made any adverse findings in relation to funds donated to them by government agencies.
Here is the full text of the PRC’s statement:
“As previously stated by the Philippine Red Cross, the humanitarian organization is the recipient of some donations from agencies of the Philippine government.
“The Philippine Red Cross has faithfully accounted for the use of such funds in compliance with the donor agencies’ liquidation and reportorial requirements. These government agencies, in turn, are subject to annual audit by the Commission on Audit.
“To date, there has not been any adverse finding on any transaction whereby government funds were given to the Philippine Red Cross.
“Reports of these donations may be obtained by the Office of the President directly from these government agencies, and audits on these government agencies, if any, may be secured from the Commission on Audit.” – jlo