COA says it lacks 384 auditors to keep watch over public funds

The Commission on Audit in Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City.

Rappler

In 2020, during the Duterte administration, the Department of Budget and Management scrapped at least 716 positions in the Commission on Audit

AT A GLANCE

• The Commission on Audit (COA) in the Philippines is experiencing a personnel shortage, needing 384 additional state auditors to effectively combat corruption and manage public funds.
• The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) previously cut 716 COA positions in 2020, but has since restored 332 positions, leaving COA still short-staffed.
• COA is leveraging technology and public participation to address its manpower issues while seeking a larger budget to enhance its auditing capabilities.

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MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) is faced with a shortage of personnel, describing the situation as a “cause for concern,” and that it needs 384 more state auditors to spot possible corruption and ensure that public funds are properly used.

In 2020, during the Duterte administration, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) scrapped at least 716 positions in COA, COA Assistant Commissioner Lorna Cabochan said during the budget deliberations on Tuesday, August 25.

COA filed a motion for reconsideration with the DBM. Six years later, in July 2025, the DBM approved the restoration of 332 positions at COA. Of these, 141 were for COA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and 123 for Central Luzon.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte had a strained relationship with COA while he was in office. He even called on the commission to stop publishing its audit reports, saying these put government officials in a bad light.

To fully make up for the positions lost in 2020 under Duterte, COA still needs 384 state auditors.

COA also noted that some employees have been resigning because of higher pay elsewhere, proximity to their homes, and more flexible work arrangements.

“We say that anti-corruption is a priority of the government and yet we do not see this in the allocation that was given to COA,” Akbayan Representative Perci Cendeña said.

To address its manpower shortage, COA said it is using technology and training employees in data analytics.

The commission is also tapping its Citizen Participatory Audit program, which allows members of the public and civil society organizations to join official government audit teams.

The need for pre-audit was highlighted at the height of the investigation into alleged corruption in flood control projects.

COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba said the commission needs around P2.5 billion to establish 146 additional pre-audit teams composed of audit, technical, and administrative personnel.

Under pre-audit, COA reviews transactions to ensure that they have been approved by the proper authorities and are supported by authentic documents and other evidence.

For 2027, COA sought a P16.05-billion budget, but the DBM recommended trimming this to P14.77 billion.

COA Assistant Commissioner Nilda Plaras, in a letter to the House of Representatives, appealed for a bigger allocation to purchase information and communications technology equipment, supply and install furniture and fixtures in COA buildings, and augment its maintenance and other operating expenses, among other things.

In the past few months, COA’s role was highlighted amid the flood control corruption scandal and the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in relation to her alleged misuse of confidential funds. – Rappler.com