COA, city agree to limit release of audit reports

CEBU, Philippines - Owing to concerns on confidentiality, the Commission on Audit and the Cebu City government have agreed to limit the release of audit observation reports to the press.

This following the leakage of “confidential” audit reports and notices, such as those of the P550.42 unimplemented projects in the Annual Investment Plan, the P25.5 million payment for garbage disposal services, and “misused” P45 million Local Development Fund last year, among others.

In a closed-door audit exit conference, COA and the city’s department agreed to limit the release of the reports. The conference gave the city a chance to air its side on the audit reports.

City lawyer Gerone Castillo pointed out that audit reports are confidential in character, which cannot be released and reported without proper authorization. Each OAM document is marked “confidential.”

He lamented that some of the published AOM reports lack official response from the concerned department.

“Ma-caught off guard lang ta kay either wala pa na-receive, review, peruse or wala pa’y reply na-publish naman sa newspaper,” he said.

“Confidential information dapat dili mo-leak. Such reports have to be reviewed first by the recipient before it will be given to media for publication. We have been very transparent with the media but we have to consider the confidential matters,” he added.

Castillo, though, clarified that COA’s reports can be given to the media after recipient’s perusal and submission of reply to the commission.

“We just want to correct the system. If it is confidential it should be received in confidentiality,” he added, albeit saying he will no longer point to who leaked the documents. —  Kristine B. Quintas/JMO (FREEMAN)