Legislators express shock at findings of report they commissioned and ignored for three years

The Shock Is Genuine This Time

MANILA — The Philippine Senate passed Resolution 404 on Wednesday, officially declaring itself “genuinely surprised” by the findings of the Mabilis Commission on Government Waste, a body the Senate created in 2021, funded in 2022, and actively avoided reading until a journalist summarized it in a tweet.

“We are shocked,” said Senate President Ricardo Aghast. “Shocked and troubled. We are also mildly embarrassed, which is new for us.”

What the Report Found

The Mabilis Commission documented 847 instances of irregular procurement, 23 ghost employees, and one government office that has been locked since 2019 with a sign reading “Back in Five Minutes.” The Commission spent two years investigating and two additional years wondering whether to mention the locked office.

Senator Marilou Astonished called the findings “deeply alarming.” She added that she had personally been informed of six of the 847 instances prior to the report and had filed them under “to do,” which she now acknowledges was “perhaps not the urgency the moment required.”

The Response

The Senate voted to form a new committee to investigate the findings of the original committee, which was formed to investigate findings that were themselves the subject of an earlier investigation. Officials say the new committee will report back “promptly,” a word that, in legislative terms, is understood to mean during a future administration.

The Commission on Audit thanked the Senate for its concern and noted it has been saying the same things since 1987. “We appreciate the shock,” a spokesperson said. “It is new.”

SOURCE: https://bohiney.com