FALSE: Duterte orders investigation into COA

At a glance

• Claim: President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered an investigation into the Commission on Audit (COA).
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Duterte did not order a probe into COA. He only said he would audit the government himself if he gets elected as vice president.
• Why we fact-checked this: The video purporting this claim has gained 68,769 views, 2,000 likes, and 672 comments, as of writing.

Complete details

YouTube channel Showbiz Fanaticz uploaded a video on August 29, 2021, entitled, “JUST IN: Pres. DUTERTE, OPISYAL ng PINA-IIMBESTIGAHAN ang COA| P118-M PONDO ng COA, NAWAWALA!?!” (Just in: Pres. Duterte to orders an investigation into COA | P118 million worth of COA funds missing?)

“Tunay nga raw na walang lihim na hindi nabubunyag. Ito ang naging diretsahang pahayag ng maraming netizens sa commissioner ng Commission on Audit na si Aguinaldo matapos nga ang naging pambubulgar na mismo ang kanilang ahensya ay mayroon ding kuropsiyon at diumano’y unliquidated fund na magpasahanggang ngayon ay hinahanap na ng gobyerno,” the video narrated.

(There is no secret that will not be revealed. This is the comment of many netizens about Commission on Audit [Chairman] Aguinaldo after an exposé showed their own agency has corruption and supposed unliquidated funds that up until now is being sought by the government.)

The video’s claim is false.

Duterte did not order a probe into COA. He only said he would audit the government himself if he gets elected as vice president.

He earlier lashed out against the commission after its 2020 annual audit report (AAR) on the Department of Health (DOH) showed that P67 billion worth of pandemic funds were used deficiently.

COA clarified that its report on the DOH did not mention that funds were lost due to corruption and that the audit process was still ongoing.

But Duterte said the damage had been done. “Hindi ko rin sinasabi hindi dapat gawain ng COA, dapat gawin niya. Hindi ko rin sinasabi na may sinadya siya, wala. Trabaho nila ‘yan. Ang akin lang is the presentation,” Duterte said during a pandemic briefing on August 24.

(I am not saying COA shouldn’t do this, they should do it. I am not saying they did this on purpose, no. That’s their job. What I’m after is the presentation.)

Then, on August 26, he asked who audits COA. The commission audits itself. “I will do that if I become vice president. Ako na lang rin ang mag-audit sa lahat ng gobyerno. Lahat, pati ‘yung akin, mag-umpisa ako sa akin,” he said. (I will be the one to audit the whole government. All of it, even my own [office], I’ll start with mine.)

Showbiz Fanaticz’ video cited an August 28 Philippine Daily Inquirer report entitled “COA flagged for own irregularities, too.”

According to the Inquirer report, COA released its 2020 AAR on August 27. Duterte has not made a comment on this report, as of writing.

Showbiz Fanaticz is known for regularly posting false and misleading information. Here are just a few of its claims that Rappler has debunked:

• FALSE: COA chairman uses audit reports to defame Duterte administration
• MISSING CONTEXT: Prosecutor Cañete files suit against De Lima anew
• HINDI TOTOO: Pacquiao lumabag sa patakaran ng Comelec
• FALSE: Queen Elizabeth II impressed by Duterte’s good governance
• FALSE: ABS-CBN reporter opposed Duterte’s candidacy during press conference
• FALSE: Noynoy Aquino died due to HIV

– Loreben Tuquero/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.