On February 12, Facebook page Coach Jarret posted screenshots of several news reports that reveal Commission on Audit (COA) findings about the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) use of public funds. The caption of the said post read, “Sabi ng mga PINKKRAB, pag wala daw transparency walang unity. Eh yung GOBYERNONG TAPAT… pano kaya makikita sa partido nila?”
The Facebook post included screenshots of headlines from Inquirer, CNN, and Politiko.
Claim:
The OVP misused public funds, as revealed by several COA findings.
Rating:
FALSE
Facts:
While the three headlines that were included in Coach Jarret’s post are actual reports from the said media outlets, the post – intentionally or unintentionally – only included screenshots of the headlines and did not even provide the links to the articles mentioned, thus making it difficult for people to cross-examine the claims, and easily conclude that the OVP is involved in corrupt practices. This is false. Examining the articles involved, the OVP has in fact responded to COA’s audit observations.
While the Inquirer article dated September 6, 2020, correctly reports a COA finding of the OVP’s slow utilization of medical aid funds in 2019, Coach Jarret’s screengrab conveniently left out parts of the report where VP Leni Robredo’s office explained that “the delays in the disbursement of funds were not due to any corruption-related issue, but more on an issue of prudence as they were not allowed to make expenditures for their programs due to 2019 being an election year.”
The Coach Jarret post also conveniently left out an essential part of the Politiko article that tackled how the OVP responded to COA’s finding.
Meanwhile, including the screengrab for the CNN article can also confuse readers, as it was done without including proper context. The topic of the said news article is not the OVP but audit reports on COA itself. The COA management’s explanation of the adverse finding was also omitted in Coach Jarret’s post.
Why It Matters:
As of writing, Coach Jarret’s post already gained 2,400 reactions, 276 comments, and 956 shares. The post seemingly aimed to make it appear that the OVP is in fact, mired in several issues concerning its budget utilization, thereby implying that COA is wrong to award the OVP the highest audit rating for three consecutive years, with the said agency earning an “unqualified opinion” rating from the state auditors. –Neil Dizon and Rome Medina
Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.
