The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday said they will comply with the rules of the Office of the Ombudsman with regard to the publication of the annual audit report being published by the Commission on Audit (COA).

This was the response of DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesman Atty. Mico Clavano when asked for comment on the proposal of the Ombudsman to restrict the publication of annual audit reports of government agencies.

"We will comply with the rules whichever way it is crafted. It is for the proper appropriate authorities to decide. We will simply follow," said Clavano.

Earlier, Ombudsman Samuel Martires defended his call to lawmakers to delete a provision in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) requiring the publication of the COA's Annual Audit Reports or AARs of government agencies.

In a statement, the Office of the Ombudsman pointed out that AARs are not yet final as these can still be appealed before the COA all the way to court.

"The Ombudsman assures that it is not protecting erring and corrupt government officials and employees with its firm belief that only the final audit report ought to be published and shared with the public since the Annual Audit Report could still be taken up on appeal before the Commission on Audit en banc and the court," the statement read.

Martires explained that he just does not want government officials to be subjected to "trial by publicity" with the release of the AARs.

"Once we release our decision, which the media usually publishes, that's it. You would no longer hear anything from us because I don't want to resort to prosecution by publicity," said Martires.

During the hearing of the Ombudsman's P5-billion proposed budget for 2024 before the House of Representatives appropriations committee last Monday, Martires made an unsolicited suggestion to lawmakers to remove a provision in the GAA requiring the publication of the COA's audit observation memorandum (AOM).

Martires clarified that what he meant during the budget hearing was the publication of AARs.