We, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), representing 1,600 non-government organizations, people’s organizations, and cooperatives nationwide, call on our fellow Filipinos to demand accountability from government and support democratic institutions such as the Commission on Audit (COA) and its mission “to ensure accountability for public resources, promote transparency, and help improve government operations, in partnership with stakeholders, for the benefit of the Filipino people.” 

The national and local governments are accountable to us, citizens, for the management and judicious use of all resources – people, supplies, property, and public funds. The chief of every government agency or unit and its public officers are accountable to us for the efficient, economic, and effective operations of government. [1] [2]  

Accountability means that they must answer for their actions, accept responsibility for monitoring, evaluation, and auditing results, and immediately correct unethical and ineffective actions. They must ensure that their operating environment is not permissive of fraud and graft, nor their public financial management system indulging in corruption.

We, Filipinos, demand accountability because we value a transparent and ethical government. We demand it not just as “watchdogs” or critical monitors, but also as constructive partners of government in poverty reduction and development efforts. We demand it because public funds come from our taxes.  We deserve to be governed well as we all cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn.

Through the years, CODE NGO has taken the task of exacting accountability seriously. CODE-NGO has been mobilizing and building the capacity of our members to participate in the planning and budgeting processes at the local government level. They monitor government projects, promote Open Contracting, monitor the utilization of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and other local funds, among others. Their assessment results are presented to government officials at the local, regional, or national levels. CODE-NGO has supported grassroots associations of farmers and fishers, urban poor, women, youth, and indigenous peoples to form local citizen networks, to develop their agenda on addressing poverty and exacting public accountability, and to bring these advocacies constructively to government. 

CODE-NGO continues to be a partner of the COA in its Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA), which was institutionalized as a regular COA program in 2018. The CPA involves citizens as citizen partner-auditors of COA Audit Teams. Citizens learn and experience the audit process and contribute as third-party monitors of government institutions.  

We respect COA’s mandate as an independent commission to ensure that public officials use public funds and deliver government services efficiently. Its intricate audit processes, procedures, rules, and regulations is part of its sole authority to investigate and audit irregularities, unjustified claims, and other violations thoroughly. We strongly rally behind COA to reject threats or to compromise. 

We call on Filipinos to monitor and hold government officials accountable for their performance in terms of public spending, delivery of better services, improvement of people’s welfare, and protection of citizens’ rights. 

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[1] The State Audit Code of the Philippines (PD 1445), Section 2

[2] COA Circular 2009-06, Rules and Regulations on Settlement of Accounts, Section 4.2