REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
COMMISSION ON AUDIT
Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City
LEGAL SERVICES SECTOR
LEGAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
FOR : WINNIE ROSE H. ENCALLADO
Assistant Commissioner ——
rs’ Group (ACG)
THRU :
(Director
( Secretaria
ee
FORTUNATA MyUBICO
Assistant Commisgigner
Office of the General Counsel
This Secjor,
FROM : ARYL H. TONOLETE,
Director IV
This Office
SUBJECT Query on the interpretation of Section 3, Rule XIII of the 2009
Revised Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Audit
(RRPC) regarding the issuance of COA Order of Execution
(COE) in relation to COA Memorandum No, 2016-023! dated
November 14, 2016 as amended by COA Circular No. 2019-
002? dated March 20, 2019
DATE March 1, 2023
We refer to the Memorandum of Director Haiddie I. Jose-Sumogba, Prosecution and
Litigation Office, this Sector, dated October 6, 2022 on the above subject.
The subject query stemmed from the Memorandum dated December 1, 2021 of Cluster
Director (CD) Lucila M. Isidro, Cluster 7-Public Works, Transport and Energy, National
Government Audit Sector (NGAS) returning without action to COA Regional Office (RO) No.
VII the Notices of Finality of Decision (NFDs) for the settlement of various Notices of
* Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the Unified Audit Approach.
2 Guidelines implementing COA Resolution No. 2018-008 amending COA Memorandum No. 2016-023, relative
to the jurisdictions of Cluster Directors vis-i-vis Regional Directors over appeals from Notices of
Disallowance/Charge and denials of requests for relief from accountability and requests for write-off of dormant
accounts receivables, unliquidated cash advances and fund transfers, aligning the same with Rule V of the 2009
Revised Rules of Procedure of the COA and with COA Resolution No. 2016-022, within the context of the
Uniform Audit Approach.
Page | of 3Disallowance issued to the Department of Public Works and Highways RO No. VII, Cebu City.
The CD reasoned that only appeals with Answer are forwarded to the CD for adjudication and
that the approval of COEs for NDs issued in the Regions (other than the National Capital
Region) which attained finality at the level of the auditor belongs to the RD.
However, the RD disagrees contending that under the Unified Audit Approach (UAA),
the CD is vested with technical supervisory authority over the NGAS and Corporate
Government Audit Sector (CGAS) audit teams in the regions. As such, the issuance of COEs
for NDs issued by Audit Team Leaders (ATLs) and Regional Supervising Auditors (RSAs) of
NGAS and CGAS assigned in the regions, is within the scope of the CD's authority. To
construe otherwise would be antithetical to the intent and purpose of the UAA which is to attain
consistency and uniformity of audit approach and methodology as well as for monitoring
purposes provided under COA Memorandum No. 2020-016? dated October 8, 2020.
In this light, the RD requests the interpretation of Section 3, Rule XIII of the Revised
Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Audit, particularly to clarify the jurisdiction of CDs
vis-a-vis the RDs in the issuance of COEs. Section 3 provides:
Section 3. COA Order of Execution (COE) ~In case of failure of the
person(s) liable to refund the amount disallowed/charged as provided
in the preceding section, the COE directing — the
Cashier/Treasurer/Disbursing Officer to withhold payment of any
money due such person(s) shall be issued by the following:
a) Director - NFDs issued by him and by the Auditor
b) General Counsel — for NFD issued by him and by the
Commission Secretary, and for judgments rendered by
the Supreme Court.
This Office concurs in the opinion of the RD.
CDs exercise full technical supervision over NGAS and CGAS audit teams nationwide,
except for State Universities and Colleges, Water Districts, and stand alone agencies located in
the regions which are under the technical supervision of the concemed RDs.* Under Item II(A)
of COA Circular No. 2019-0025 dated March 20, 2019, the CDs of the National Government,
Sector (NGS) and Corporate Government Sector (CGS) exercise jurisdiction, among others,
over the appeals from NDs/NCs issued by their respective SAS/RSAs/ATLs. Indubitably, the
DPWH RO No. VII is under the audit jurisdiction of the CD as provided under the UAA.
From the foregoing rules, the word “Director” under Section 3(a) Rule XIII of the
RRPC shall be interpreted to mean the CDs of the NGS or the CGS, as the case may be, insofar
as issuance of COE on NEDs issued by their respective SAs/RSAs/ATLs is concemed.
Accordingly, it is this Office’s view that the CD, Cluster 7, NGAs should issue the
corresponding COE for the enforcement of the final and executory NDs issued against DPWH.
RONo. VI.
> Guidelines on the Instllation, Utilization, and Maintenance of the Commission on Audit (COA) Orders of
Execution (COE) Management Information System (COEMIS), and Institutionalization of the COEMIS of
Final and Executory Decisions at Different Adjudication Levels in COA,
Supra, note |
+ Supra, note 2.
Page 2 of 3Accordingly, we forward the matter to the ACG with the proposed circular amending
Section 3(a), Rule XIII of the RRPC. The same amendment has also been effected in the
proposed 2023 RRPC which was recently resubmitted to the ACG.
For your consideration and appropriate action please.
Page 3 of 3REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
COMMISSION ON AUDIT
(COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, QUEZON CIIY
COMMISSION PROPER
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSION SECRETARIAT
ifumia 8° aa
MEMORANDUM 25 Of- MNO
FOR : DARYLH. TONOLETE
Director IV
Legal Affairs Office
THRU : FORTUNATA M. KUBICO
Assistant Commissifier and General Counsel
Legal Services Sector
FROM 2 LDAN
SUBJECT : mn of Section 3, Rule XIII
of the 2009 Revised Rules of Procedure of the
Commission on Audit (RRPC) regarding the
issuance of COA Order of Execution (COE) in
relation to COA Memorandum No. 2016-023 dated
November 14, 2016 as amended by COA Circular
No. 2019-002 dated March 20, 2019
January 11,2023
We retum your Memorandum dated January 9, 2023, bearing the opinion of that
office on the subject query, with the advice to address it directly to the office that requested
therefor.
Further, the recommendation of that office to amend the issuances of this
Commission relative to the jurisdiction of the Cluster Directors vis-a-vis the Regional
Directors involving the National Government Agencies and GOCCS situated at the Region
should be addressed to the Assistant Commissioners’ Group for its consideration.
‘Thank you.REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES.
COMMISSION ON AUDIT
COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, QUEZON CITY
LEGAL SERVICES SECTOR
LEGAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
FOR : BRESILO R. SABALDAN 2 WAN 10
Director 1V
Office of the Commission Secretariat: {°° Contst. tips