Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte said the Commission on Audit should conduct a transparent financial audit of all government agencies.
Duterte, in his weekly program over the SMNI News channel on Tuesday night, said CoA should prioritize the audit of the Office of the Vice President held by his daughter Sara and himself.
"Unahin nila ako pati kay Sara (Audit me and Sara first). Make it a priority, and CoA should come up with a public statement to this challenge," he said.
"I am not asking you CoA. I am challenging you to initiate the opening of all government records, especially the finance side of it," he added.
"Umpishan na ninyo para malaman na natin (Start it now so we can find out) or I will go to the Supreme Court or the Ombudsman — sabihin ko sa inyo (I'm telling you) — Ombudsman kindly tell them that there's a constitutional mandate and a Filipino citizen is asking to be guided by what the books are all about," he said.
"Let us not debate that, just open the books. No more talk, show us where the money is and how it was spent by all government officials, us, me, and the Congress," he added.
At the same time, Duterte slammed the government's plan to amend the compensation package for the men in uniform as well as the pension system of retired members of the military and the police.
"I'm not being a hero to the military. I'm not being a hero to the police. I gave it (increases in pay and pensions) to them because I pitied them; they were putting their lives on the line for the country," he said in Filipino.
In 2018, Duterte approved pay hikes for soldiers and police officers nationwide. He signed Congress' Joint Resolution No. 1 authorizing an increase in the base pay, as well as allowances, benefits, and other incentives of all military personnel under the Departments of National Defense and the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.
The joint resolution also provided that modifications to the base pay of the men in uniform "shall be aligned to maintain fiscal integrity and pursue pension reform."
"I only asked for the military a little pressure. After all, we have a democratic process; everybody can pressure the government to do what is right and fair. That's how it is," Duterte said.
"Maybe if you see now how money is being spent wantonly by Congress, then maybe it's your decision. See first what the mess is all about," he added.
The government, he said, should not take away what it had duly given the military and the police.
"You gave it, then you'll take it back?" he said in the vernacular.