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State auditors as modern-day heroes: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III hails the Commission on Audit (COA) as the “modern-day heroes” for being the eyes and ears of the people in checking the bureaucracy. Pimentel, during the deliberation on the proposed 2024 budget of COA on Monday, November 20, 2023, said the people depends on the agency because of the current weak political party system in the country. “As I said, COA is our new hero. Why? Because the political party system in the Philippines is weak. There is no party presenting itself as the alternative to the ruling party. There is no such thing like that here in the Philippines. What do we do in the minority (bloc in the Senate)? To check. What’s our first step? We look at the COA reports. That is why you are the de facto eyes and ears of the people,” Pimentel said. “So you have to keep it that way being insulated from politics, very objective and as clear as possible,” he added. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)