By Genalyn Kabiling The envisioned government body that will monitor the procurement of goods and services could be finalized in a month or two, Malacañang said Thursday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.
(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte might issue an executive order that would create the proposed office of checks and balances. "Kinakailangan isulat muna kung ano iyong magiging itsura nitong departamentong ito; sa lalong mabilis na panahon po pero I don’t think it will happen tomorrow, I don’t think it will happen next week but possibly we are talking of one or two months before we come up with the executive order that would be necessary," Roque said during a Palace press briefing. "Kung executive order lang ay pupuwede na, otherwise we will have to draft an administration bill ," he added. Roque however said if a department will be created from an existing office that will not require additional positions, reorganizing the bureaucracy would be sufficient for its purpose. "We will see kung ma-achieve ang gustong mangyari ni Presidente through reorganizing lang, certain branch of government in which case, only an EO would be necessary," he said. In his visit to Cagayan last Sunday, the President announced plans to create a five-man body to implement a system of "check and balances” on purchases made by government agencies. The proposed procurement watchdog aims to curb corrupt practices such as ghost deliveries in government transactions and misuse of Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs). "This will be a --- not really a superbody. Just a… Tawagin ko lang ‘yan checks and balances. The Office of Checks and Balances. Lahat, lahat ng purchases ng gobyerno,” Duterte said. "So malaman ko kung may nabayad, dumating ba o hindi para wala ng ghost deliveries, wala ng imbento ng mga SARO-SARO, wala na lahat," he added.