COA Creates Special Team to Audit Yolanda Donations

The Commission on Audit (COA) will create a special team to audit the use of government funds and foreign aid meant to help victims of Typhoon Yolanda, Gma News Online reported on Friday.

COA chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan, in an interview  with Gma’s “Balitanghali”, has said “I’m planning to create a special audit team, at least for the duration of the calamity. Remember, yung Presidente ay nagdeclare ng state of national calamity. That declaration is going to stay until it is lifted.” The Online News reported COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza was earlier assigned to head the special audit team.

Pulido-Tan said the COA is in the preparatory and initial processess for the audit. “Sinasabayan namin yung paggamit o pag-mobilize ng pondo para sa relief operations so hindi lang yung mga pondo o ayuda na dumarating from abroad, but also how we are (using funds) here locally,” she said adding that this is not the first time that disaster funds will be audited.

“Hindi naman ito actually natatangi kasi talagang ino-audit namin ang disaster aid. A good example would be nung typhoon Sendong sa Cagayan de Oro. In-audit namin yun at may report na kami na nakapaloob sa audit report namin ng Cagayan de Oro. It’s not really something new or novel,” she said.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad earlier said all donations and grants for Yolanda victims will be audited and accounted for. Abad reportedly made the statement to dispel skepticism that aid money will disappear into the pockets of corrupt officials, Gma News Online reported.

Source: Gma News Online