Government transparency and accountability processes ought to be strengthened on account of the Marcos administration’s proposal to amend the Procurement Law and the Auditing Code, Makabayan lawmakers mentioned on Thursday.
House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list and Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel made the decision in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proposal to amend such legal guidelines throughout his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Marcos mentioned the proposal goals ”to make authorities procurement and auditing extra attuned to those altering occasions.”
The Government Procurement Reform Act was handed in 2003, whereas the Government Auditing Code was issued in 1978 by Marcos’ father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“We have to be vigilant given that we already relaxed the Procurement Law during the Duterte administration [amid the COVID-19 pandemic], and recently, COA (the Commission on Audit) said the Office of the Vice President did not follow the Procurement Law. If we are going to revise these laws, we should strengthen them to ensure that public funds are protected,” Castro mentioned in a digital press convention.
Castro was referring to the latest COA report, which confirmed that the OVP, headed by Vice President Sara Duterte, remodeled P600,000 price of purchases for its seven satellite tv for pc places of work however ”failed to completely observe the processes and procedures” underneath the Procurement Law, or Republic Act 9184.
The OVP, nevertheless, maintained that such purchases have been above board for the reason that COA didn’t situation a discover of suspension or disallowance.
“Ang pondo ng ating mamamayan ay hindi dapat maging sariling pera ng sinumang opisyal ng pamahalaan. Government purchases should follow the bidding process and procurement law,” Castro mentioned.
“If changes are to be made, these should be done to enhance transparency and accountability, and not to favor certain parties,” Brosas added.
Manuel mentioned amendments ought to enable confidential and intelligence funds to be scrutinized.
“If we are going to change the auditing rules, would this cover the confidential, intelligence funds and the funds? Because every year, these are items that are shielded from public consumption supposedly for being confidential,” he mentioned.
“However, these funds stay public funds and ought to be scrutinized.”
Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier mentioned it was about time to amend the Procurement Law for the reason that present system is disadvantageous to the federal government. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
