Duterte raising past COA reports on Aquino admin ‘a clear case of misdirection’ — De Lima
MANILA, Philippines — Detained Sen. Leila De Lima on Wednesday accused President Rodrigo Duterte of attempting to "misdirect" criticism of his own government by digging up Commission on Audit reports on the interior and justice departments under the previous administration.
Duterte during a pre-recorded address aired late Tuesday night revived allegations that the Department of Justice under De Lima in 2013 had unliquidated cash advances amounting to P617.44 million. The same allegation was carried by news outlets years prior and was disputed by the DOJ at the time, which said nearly all cash advances had already been liquidated as of 2014.
The president also raised that state auditors flagged fund transfers worth P7 billion that were not liquidated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government led by Mar Roxas in 2013. Roxas' camp at the time is quoted in several news reports as saying the funds were unliquidated because the DILG's projects were still being implemented.
"For someone who cannot even publicly disclose and release his own SALN, Duterte's accusation against me and Sec. Mar Roxas regarding COA's past reports on our agencies is just plain rich in irony and hypocrisy," De Lima said in a handwritten dispatch from Camp Crame where she is currently detained.
She further called Duterte's remarks "a clear case of misdirection," challenging the president to file cases with the Ombudsman arising from the same COA reports.
"[Duterte] cannot [file a case] because those accounts have long been settled and closed. The COA knows that," she added. "That is why no further cases were made out of those reports, and that is why Duterte, with all his penchant for filing fabricated cases against me, was not able to fabricate a case out of those COA reports."
De Lima: Previous admin took audits seriously, did not threaten auditors
"Besides, neither I nor Sec. Mar Roxas threatened the COA after those reports were released," De Lima added, drawing a comparison with Duterte's who recently cursed at state auditors and instructed them to stop flagging agencies and publishing reports.
READ: Duterte reminded: COA an independent body, necessary check on state spending
"Walang nagsisigaw sa aming dalawa sa telebisyon na winarak kami ng COA (Neither of us have screamed on television that COA destroyed us)," she also said, poking at Health Secretary Duque III's outburst during a House hearing.
De Lima further said that she, along with other members of the late President Benigno Aquino III's Cabinet, "always took COA reports seriously, corrected whatever deficiencies were identified in those reports, and acted accordingly to comply with COA recommendations."
Duterte in recent weeks has again faced scrutiny over his decision to retain Duque as health secretary despite COA flagging "deficiencies" in the Department of Health's spending of critical pandemic funds.
Last night, the president reiterated his support for Duque who he said was "painted black" by COA's audit report, and said he would never fire the health secretary but would accept a voluntary resignation. — Bella Perez-Rubio
- Latest
- Trending
