COA mum on Duterte appeal on Hajj trips

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has refused to comment on President Duterte’s call to reconsider its negative audit findings against the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) over the alleged illegal diversion of P5 million intended for rehabilitation projects in Marawi City.

“At the moment, COA does not have any comment regarding this issue,” the COA Public Information Office told The STAR via e-mail when sought for a statement.

In a speech at an event sponsored by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in celebration of the end of Ramadan, Duterte said he saw nothing wrong with the use of the P5-million fund for the Hajj or annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia of 27 Muslim survivors of the Marawi siege.

“I’m asking COA to reconsider. (What is) P5 million in terms of your kind generosity to finance the Muslim people?” Duterte said late Thursday.

“I would like to tell (COA) not to meddle with it. Because as a matter of fact, there is a fund that (is) set aside to enhance the travel of our brothers and sisters for the pilgrimage to fulfill a lifetime dream,” he added.

The President said the COA should understand that Muslims go to Mecca “to fulfill a religious mandate.”

Duterte said he does not see anything wrong with the Hajj pilgrimage trips – by using it as a means to attain peace among the people of Mindanao. 

“You want peace? All of you, you want peace, Filipinos, you want peace? Let us invest in peace,” Duterte said, adding that peace should also be “encompassing to include one’s heart and spirits.”

Duterte said he would even push to increase the budget for Hajj pilgrimage to P15 million next year.

Duterte warned of a “revolt” among Mindanaoans if COA would insist on going after the amount.

“If we are involved, we will be jailed, Mindanaoans will revolt. (It’s) up to you,” he added in Filipino.

Duterte also appealed to authorities not to sanction Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) chief Eduardo del Rosario, also the HUDCC chief, for the activities.

“I am telling you, COA, do not jail del Rosario because if you do, me and (Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte) will be liable as well,” he said.

Duterte said he and his daughter have funded similarly Hajj activities even while he was mayor of Davao City.

If Del Rosario would be sent to jail, Duterte said he and his daughter should also be dragged into detention.

Travel was not included

The COA earlier called out the HUDCC for transferring P5 million to NCMF to sponsor the participants of the “2018 Hajj for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Marawi City.”

The transferred amount was drawn from the P500-million fund that the Office of the President (OP) allocated to HUDCC for the operational expenses of TFBM.

The audit body said the fund was allocated for the “recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the City of Marawi and other affected localities.”

The COA had issued a Notice of Disallowance (ND) to HUDCC on Feb. 18, 2019 to compel the return of the transferred amount.

COA pointed out the Memorandum of Agreement between the OP and the HUDCC even enumerated the allowable expenses for which the P500-million fund shall be utilized, such as for clearing operations, settlement of land conflict and road right of way, military and police security needs, rehabilitation of priority roads and bridges, procurement of medical/health equipment and services, installation of closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), construction of barangay halls and rural health centers, augmentation for electrical and water requirements and livelihood interventions.

COA said part of the fund should also be used for technical assistance to the local government of Marawi City in the formulation of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan to be executed through an MOA between HUDCC and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

The audit body pointed out sponsorship of any event or travel is not among the allowable expenses listed in the agreement.

The COA found no merit in HUDCC’s defense that the purpose of the fund transfer was for “social healing” of the victims of the Marawi siege.

“The Audit Team noted their comments, however, stand with observation that the fund transfer was not among the authorized expenses enumerated in the original MOA between OP and HUDCC,” COA said in its audit report.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said the government’s ongoing rehabilitation program for Marawi puts a premium on cultural sensitivity and human rights.

OPAPP said government workers, especially security forces, are being trained on the culture of peace to ensure government interventions for the rehabilitation process are culturally sensitive to the people in Marawi.  – with Christina Mendez, Edith Regalado, Jose Rodel Clapano