Press Release
December 2, 2014

8 years and Malampaya fund review still in preliminary stage
Why is Malampaya audit taking so long?--Nancy

Senator Nancy Binay today said she finds it unacceptable the admission of the Commission on Audit (COA) that it had yet to complete its audit report on the releases made from the Malampaya Fund.

Binay is wondering why COA is still on its preliminary review stage when it has already been eight years that "red flags" have been detected and uncovered.

"Parang napakatagal naman yata ng ginagawang pag-audit ng COA sa Malampaya fund scam, considering na 2004 pa ito pinagkukunan ng pera, at 2011 pa muling binalikan ang pag-audit," Binay said.

At least P38.83 billion coming from the national government share of the sales of the Malampaya natural gas field in Palawan were released to various government agencies and offices from 2004 to 2012.

"Sinimulan ito na lampas isang taon pa lang nakakaupo ang present administration, ngayon papasok na ang 2015 at Department of Agrarian Reform pa lang ang natatapos na i-audit," she added.

About P900 million of this was released in 2009 to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) supposedly to aid farmers affected by typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng" during that year.

Releases from the Malampaya Fund are intended for energy-related projects and programs but the multi-billion peso gas fund was being illegally used in other non-energy related purposes.

COA chair Grace Pulido-Tan said during the Senate hearing into the fund scam that 30 out of the 50 members of the COA Special Audit Team were working on the investigation. She added that the COA will release the government-wide audit during the first quarter of 2015.

Binay also took the state audit agency to task over its refusal to divulge the highlights of the preliminary audit done to other government agencies. She noted that the COA had revealed the preliminary report done in connection to the Makati City Hall parking building controversy.

"Bakit ayaw nilang sabihin? Alam po nating lahat na hindi pwedeng ilabas at hindi talaga inilalabas ang preliminary findings ng COA. Sinabi ni COA Chair Pulido-Tan na hindi fair sa mga parties concerned kung hindi pa sila nakakapagcomment sa report, pero sa ibang hearing e sinabi naman nila ang resulta ng preliminary report?" she said.

"Matatandaan natin na may precedent na itong sitwasyon na ito. The COA, even though its representative said that it is premature disclosure, gave in to the prodding of some senators and disclosed its preliminary report into the Makati City Hall parking building," Binay added.

The senator requested Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. TG Guingona to subpoena an advance copy of the COA's initial findings indicating "red flags" on the Malampaya Fund releases.

Binay also assured the COA chair that the audit highlights will be treated as confidential and will not be divulged in public.

News Latest News Feed