Senator Erwin Tulfo raised serious concerns over a potential conflict of interest involving a commissioner at the Commission on Audit (COA) whose spouse is allegedly a government contractor.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Thursday, Tulfo stressed the gravity of the issue, noting that it compromises the integrity of COA’s mandate as the watchdog of public spending.

“Well, definitely, we have to look into that kasi (because) it's really a conflict of interest,” said Tulfo. 

“Yung isa sa kanila is in the government, tapos sa Commission on Audit pa, tapos siya contractor (One of them is in the government, and not just anywhere — in the Commission on Audit — and the other is a contractor). It really doesn't sound good. So, we'll look into that,” he added.

COA is tasked with auditing how government funds are spent, including ensuring that public projects are not overpriced or substandard. 

Tulfo emphasized the difficulty of enforcing accountability when personal relationships are involved.

“Siyempre, dahil contractor ka ng gobyerno, makakuha ka ng mga kontrata sa gobyerno, di ba? Paano kung substandard? Paano kung ikang ghost? Paano mo iimbestigahan eh asawa mo yun? (Of course, since you're a government contractor, you can get contracts from the government, right? What if the project is substandard? What if it’s a ghost project? How can you investigate it when it's your spouse?),” he said.

The senator explained that even the appearance of impropriety can damage public trust, particularly when family members of top officials are engaged in businesses linked to government contracts.

“It really is a violation,” Tulfo asserted. 

“Dapat wala silang mga business—mga families nila lalo na—kagaya, contractor na. Mabuti sana kung contractor sa private firms, pero kung government projects, that’s very, very hard. Paano mo i-audit yung pamilya mo? (They shouldn’t have any businesses—especially their families—like being a contractor. It might be acceptable if they were contractors for private firms, but if it’s for government projects, that’s very, very hard. How can you audit your own family?),” he further said. 

The government records showed a construction company linked to Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana’s wife bagged nearly P200 million worth of flood control projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Documents from the DPWH show that Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corporation—headed by Marilou Laurio-Lipana, the wife of Commissioner Lipana—secured multiple government contracts in recent years, including projects funded as recently as 2023.

Laurio-Lipana, who previously ran but lost as a nominee for the Vendors party-list, confirmed in an interview with Radyo5 in October 2024 that she serves as the president and general manager of Olympus Mining and Builders. She acknowledged the firm’s involvement in public infrastructure projects, including flood control initiatives.

According to information from the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, the company’s publicly funded projects include two flood control developments in San Miguel, Bulacan, both implemented last year.