Senate Deputy Majority Leader ‘JV’ Ejercito. (Photo from X)
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito is calling on the Commission on Audit (CoA) to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of its resident auditors in the multi-billion-peso anomalous flood control projects that have sparked national outrage.
During the hearing of the Senate’s Committee on Finance on the proposed 2026 budget of CoA, Ejercito asked Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba if the agency has already launched its own probe into resident auditors assigned to district offices and flagged for irregularities, particularly in Bulacan and Mindoro.
According to the legislator from San Juan, it’s apparent that CoA should conduct an investigation as officials of the Department of Public Works (DPWH) in the agency’s First District and Engineering Office in Bulacan pointed to some state auditors having conspired in alleged irregularities. Ejercito noted that while no formal charges have been filed yet, auditors who failed to act on red flags should still be held accountable.
In response, Cordoba assured the senator that the agency’s Fraud Audit Office has already bagan investigating the matter and that initial findings would be submitted soon to the committee once the internal process is accomplished.
Aside from this issue, Ejercito likewise raised concerns on reports that CoA commissioner Mario Lipana also received large sums of money from alleged anomalous infrastructure projects.
In the meantime, he lauded CoA’s ongoing initiatives for reform and improvement, particularly in using geo-tagging technology to verify infrastructure projects and prevent falsified reports, as these would help to prevent future anomalies.
“So with the use, aside from the physical verification, now with geo-tagging, at least now we would know. This is a big thing because they can’t doctor (documents). It’s satellite-driven,” Ejercito pointed out as he expressed confidence in CoA’s efforts to take decisive action in ensuring there is integrity in the auditing process.
“We have confidence in Chairperson Cordoba and the rest of the CoA family. I hope that you can really help us in this scandal and scam that has really racked the nation,” he enthused.
In ending, Ejercito cited that the public’s anger over the ghost and substandard infra projects must serve as a wake-up call for stronger oversight and institutional reforms.
“I hope to restore faith in government. I am hoping that you would help in restoring faith in CoA,” he told Cordoba.