A lawmaker expressed support for a proposal to grant the Commission on Audit (COA) more authority to combat government corruption.
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro backed former Senator Panfilo Lacson’s suggestion to allow COA to initiate investigations and file cases against corrupt officials.
Lacson, in a DZRH interview on Sunday, noted that COA’s current role is only recommendatory, limiting its effectiveness in holding officials accountable.
“I agree to that proposal of the former Senator Ping Lacson na dapat may authority ang Commission on Audit. Because as I observed, what they do is only to transmit the result of their investigation to proper agencies like the Ombudsman,” Luistro said in an ANC Headstart interview on Monday.
“I think it will be more efficient and it will be more in accord with the public accountability if the Commission on Audit will be given authority as well to file cases,” she added.
Lacson pointed out that cases often stall if agencies fail to act on COA’s recommendations, emphasizing that giving COA the power to file charges would lead to faster accountability.