A State Auditor III assigned with the Commission on Audit (COA) – Regional Office 10 in Cagayan de Oro City has been suspended for six months without pay after she joined scuba diving lessons, resort trips, and other activities sponsored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the same agency she was auditing. COA ruled that accepting free transportation and accommodation from DENR compromised her independence as an auditor. The unnamed auditor found guilty of simple misconduct and given a six-month suspension without pay.
Records show that COA received an anonymous letter on May 23, 2016, from concerned employees of DENR Region X in Cagayan de Oro City, alleging that the auditor had been joining agency officials on trips to various resorts.
Among the activities listed in the complaint are:
- Scuba diving training at the Matangale Alibuag Dive Resort in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental (July 22 to 25, 2014);
- Coastal ecotourism interactive training (October 11 to 14, 2015 in the provinces of Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley (now Davao de Oro), and Davao del Norte;
- Offsite ecotourism event in Palawan (December 19 to 23, 2015);
- Mangrove replanting activity and underwater clean up in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental (April 22, 2016);
- Inspection of a fiberglass watercraft in Davao Oriental (February 18 to 20, 2016);
- Workshop in Camiguin (May 18 to 20, 2016).
COA records showed that the auditor was on leave during the dates she joined DENR-sponsored trips and activities. While she admitted attending the events, she argued that she was officially invited, that her participation helped her observe DENR operations, and that she did not receive per diem from COA, with DENR only covering her transportation and accommodation. Although she initially faced several administrative charges, these were later reduced to simple misconduct. COA ruled that the benefits she received from the agency she was auditing compromised her independence and integrity as an auditor, leading to a six-month suspension without pay.
