--- On Tue, 7/19/11, Casiguran Moderator <casiguranin@...> wrote:

> July 18, 2011
>
> TO: COMMISSION ON AUDIT
>
> HEIDI L. MENDOZA
> Commissioner
>  
> LUZVI PANGAN-CHATTO
> Director IV
>  
> MA. GRACIA M. PULIDO-TAN
> Chairperson
>
> CC: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG)
>
>
> JESSE M. ROBREDO
> Secretary
>
> SUBJECT: SUPPORT LETTER FOR IMMEDIATE UPLOADING OF
> COA  REPORTS
>  
> Dear Sir/Madame:
>  
> We are an online community from the remote and one of the
> country's poorest municipality of Casiguran Aurora. In 2000,
> we downloaded from COA website the 1999 Annual Audit Report
> and disseminated copies through our online mailist, website,
> postal mails and distributed reprints. In 2003, we
> personally requested copies of 2000-2001 audit reports from
> Head Office - Region IV and translated the Summary of Audit
> Reports in our dialect. Since then to now, we have been
> regularly following-up by email respective agencies and the
> COA-Web email address on the availability of Casiguran's
> online copy of Annual Audit Reports. In 2008, we sent again
> fax letter to Head Office through the Local Government Unit
> and we were referred to Region III which kindly referred us
> and gave personal contact of the Auditor in-charge of the
> Province of Aurora.
>  
> We are scheduled to personally meet the Municipal Auditor
> in Baler office to pick-up copies of the reports. We are
> grateful to have finally a resource and contact person where
> to get this important document for dissemination to our
> fellow townmates. After the successful public reception in
> 2000 and positive effects of empowering our people through
> their right to public information, by virtue of COA timely
> publishing its reports online , we make it our advocacy to
> help share in information campaign, encouraging vigilance
> and people empowerment by keeping our people well informed.
> It is therefore sad to have only sporadic limited
> availability of  audit reports online. Uploading it
> comprehensively, countrywide and on-time provides equal and
> adequate importance to the selfless efforts and dedication
> of our modern accountant-heroes who put all their commitment
> to their noble profession and public service. Delay in
> disseminating this reports only benefits
> those culpable officials who are the negative subjects of
> audits and findings.
>  
> Our purpose of writing, based on the above experiences, is
> to suggest that;
>  
> 1. All reports by Auditors, specially from local government
> units, should be uploaded immediately and soft copies
> available to respective regional and national offices. What
> if the Auditor lost his copies and not uploaded online? The
> only ones who have copies are the same officials who are
> subject of the COA  Audit findings. Although reports
> are locally available, and in theory can be requested from
> local officials, there is a degree of indisposition from
> ordinary Juan to just personally approach the administration
> in question, unless as cause-oriented group, where such
> right to information been rather served than available upon
> request. In our experience, where securing copies locally in
> the municipal level is the last option, took four years
> since 2008 and we have run circle of going back to receive
> the copies from the Auditor. When the Auditors already
> emailed the reports to COA website, it should be
> downloadable, and email inquiries to COA webmaster
> should merit reply. COA Website is an excellent democratic
> tool of government in its drive for transparency and against
> corruption where every citizen has access to such
> information to encourage public concern and open discussion,
> thus more accountability of public servants. We cannot
> achieve openness and transparency without accessibility of
> Information.
>  
> We heard of COA's new direction and DILG's support to make
> all the COA reports available online. We support this
> project which should have been the mandate by default of any
> administration. We hope it will be implemented soon so we
> Casiguranins, and any Filipino, can just download Annual
> Audit reports and personally requesting for copies become a
> thing of the past.
>  
> We'd like to convey our sincerest appreciation to all COA
> officials that we called, emailed to and helped us
> tirelessly and patiently in the numerous follow-ups we made
> since 2008.
>  
> Sincerely,
> Casiguran Aurora Online
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casiguran
>  
> P.S.
> Copy of this email will be uploaded at http://casiguran.blogspot.com
>
>
>