The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the plan of the Commission on Audit (CoA) to digitalize its state audit processes within the next seven years. As the country’s national human rights institution, CHR welcomes this plan that will improve COA’s capacity to promote and ensure accountability in government, increase transparency, improve operations, and protect public funds for the benefit of all Filipinos and their human rights.

During the Commission on Audit’s (COA) Strategic Planning Conference 2023, senior officials, led by Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba, laid out their plans to pursue the digital transformation of state audit for the next seven years.

Chairperson Cordoba focused COA’s digitalization thrusts on the following: (i) developing an easily implementable and tech-driven government accounting system compliant with international standards, (ii) introducing e-audit as the method of conducting audit through digitizing government transactions in partnership with all government agencies, and (iii) leveraging technology to improve audit techniques and procedures, including the automation of an audit system for e-collections and e-payments and  the use of artificial intelligence to process large bodies of data to determine patterns and detect fraud.

Other points highlighted in the said conference include capacity-building for COA auditors and personnel regarding updated accounting and auditing rules, developing guidelines for the audit of Public-Private Partnership projects and public utilities, filling-up around 5,000 vacant positions in COA, and adopting a merit-based succession planning program, among others.

With our common goal of promoting responsibility and accountability in government, CHR is optimistic of COA’s digital modernization in ensuring a more effective and excellent auditing methods. The country constantly relies on COA’s vigilant eye to see that the programs and projects of government agencies are efficiently and reliably delivered to the people who need social services and equal opportunities to uphold their rights and dignity. Thus, we can expect that this modernization thrusts will make an impact in human rights and social justice.

CHR looks forward to how these technological innovations will boost the work of our fellow independent watchdog in its bigger pursuit of promoting an accountable, honest government that genuinely upholds the rights and welfare of its people. ###