Today, I say a prayer for my friend, Joe Pilar, of Marinduque, the husband of Naring, also of Marinduque.

Sincerest condolences to the family of Jose “Joe” F. Pilar of passed away on 5 November 2024 in Perpetual Medical Center Las Piñas City, under the loving care of his surviving spouse Naring Pilar and nine children: Willy & Roma, Winnie & Rolly, Richard, Jeanette & Kenji, Racquel, Jhun & Maan, Joey & Cris, Katrina & Marlo and Robin & Ayoin.

And 21 grandchildren: Wella, Wency & Gerald; Rhomwlle, Andrei, Janelle & Jacob; Juliana & Franz; RJ, MJ, & Cecess; Precious, Clyde, Claud; Mikelle; Gab, Gio; Markus; and Riyu & Zayn.

Joe, as we knew him in our neighborhood, was a model father to his children, full of care for his grandchildren. He built a mini-basketball court for them and a plastic swimming pool in summer; his family was on bikes and wheels; church-going on Sundays and holidays; when coming from Laguna, he always had “pasalubong” for us, the best was the suman that was so delicious with its lasaw and a lot of Indian mangoes.

He was my best friend, and I will miss his friendship. The Honorable City Mayor Eric Olivarez and the Honorable Congressman Edwin Olivarez of the First District of Parañaque City were the first among the many who expressed their sincerest sympathies to the grieving family of Joe.

From the chapel of St. Peter in Parañaque City, Joe shall be laid to rest at Golden Haven Memorial Park, Las Piñas City, on Tuesday, 12 November.

Indiscretion or an utter lack of good judgment was at its worst in the Commission on Audit or CoA during the chairmanship of Grace Pulido Tan, Heidi Mendoza and Michael Aguinaldo.

What Ombudsman Samuel Martires was able to prevent from happening during his lifetime, through congressional intervention, exploded years before into global shame, on 12 August 2023 when an audit observation memorandum in the alleged CoA annual audit report on the accounts and financial operations of the Department of Health for calendar year ending 31 December 2020 was released prematurely to the public on 1 August 2023, to ignite a ready-made incendiary to incite the people to condemn the alleged huge anomaly.

More so, when then Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon issued the following press release: “We should investigate the Department of Health’s handling of Covid-19 funds. The deluge of deficiencies that the CoA findings uncovered are alarming and disturbing. The CoA in its audit report said these deficiencies contributed to the challenges encountered and missed opportunities by the DoH during the time of state emergency/natural calamity and cast doubt on the regularity of related transactions.”

Quickly, CoA came under fire from President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary Francisco Duque III and their allies for the screaming headlines in local newspapers and internet news flashes in capital cities around the world that said P67.32 billion intended to protect the people from Covid-19 was being lost to corruption.

“Stop the flagging, goddamnit, don’t publish the report,” Duterte said.

Duterte asked the CoA to stop flagging agencies and to refrain from publishing its report as it tainted agencies with “corruption by perception.”

“During the House panel briefing, CoA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo assured that the commission would continue making and publishing audit reports on government agencies despite criticism from Duterte and Duque,’’ the news reports said.

Both Heidi Mendoza and Grace Pulido Tan were quick to say that the CoA audit report on the DoH accounts and financial operations was regular and approved before its release and that the release was not premature.

And so the writings and voices of the former CoA chairpersons were loud and clear and eloquent in defense of an annual audit report that never was. (To be continued)