Tutol ang Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chief Senator Richard Gordon na sumailalim sa audit ng Commission on Audit (COA) dahil takot itong lumantad ang kanyang mga “offenses.”
Ito ang patuloy na akusasyon at atake ng Pangulo laban sa senador sa pinakahuling “Talk to the People” public briefing.
Sa kanyang taped briefing na inere nitong Miyerkules, Setyembre 8, inakusahan ni Duterte si Gordon na "maraming atraso" sa pamumuno bilang chief ng humanitarian agency.
“So itong sabi ni Gordon na hindi siya pwedeng ma-audit is takot ka. Takot ka kasi alam mo, marami ka nang atraso all throughout the years and you cannot possibly have the time to cover up everything also,”sabi ng Pangulo.
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Kamakailan lang ay sinabi ng Pangulo na dapat na isailalim sa audit ang PRC. Ani pa nito, hindi niya ikinasiya ang pag-iimbestiga ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sa pangunguna ni Gordon ukol sa umano’y iregularidad sa pondo ng bayan kaugnay ng mga hakbang ng goyerno laban sa coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Naunang inulat na hindi parte ng gobyerno at isang international non-governmenal organization (NGO) ang PRC kung kaya’y hindi ito maaaring ma-audit.
Gayunpaman, pinabulaan ni Duterte, isa ring abogado, ang paniniwala ng senador.
“First, Article 9 of the 1987 Constitution says that the Commission on Audit (COA) ‘shall have the power to an authority and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenues and receipts and expenditures or uses of funds and property owned or held in trust by, pertaining to the government or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentality including government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters on a post-audit basis’,” sabi ni Duterte habang binabasa ito mula isang kapirasong papel.
“These include such non-governmental entities receiving subsidy or equity–pera–directly or indirectly from or through the government which are required by law or granting the institution to submit to such audit as a condition or subsidy or equity,” sabi ng Pangulo.
Dagdag ni Duterte, tumatanggap ng salapi ang PRC mula sa Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at sa Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“In Republic Act (RA) 10072 or the Philippine Red Cross Act, the PRC is recognized at the voluntary, independent, and autonomous non-governmental society auxiliary to the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines.” pagpapatuloy ng Pangulo.
“It is provided in the said [RA] that the [PRC] shall at the end of every calendar year submit to the President of the Philippines an annual report containing its activities and showing financial condition.” dagdag niya.
“Senator Gordon hindi mo ito ginawa, wala akong nabasa galing sa iyo. Kailangan yan. Alam mo bakit? tanong ni Duterte.
“‘Pag ang pera galing sa gobyerno binigay sa kamay mo para i-implement mo isang project or whatever, gastusin mo sa isang tasking ditto, it becomes…the receiving entity or the person automatically is responsible for that money,” paliwanag ng Pangulo.
Nauna nang naghayag ng paraan si Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, isa ring abogado, kung paano maaaring sumailalim sa audit ang PRC.
Ellson Quismorio
