COMMISSION ON AUDIT MEMORANDUM NO.

79-187 February 27, 1979

TO : All Officials and Employees

This Commission

SUBJECT : Standard Operating Procedure for the Preliminary Inquiry into and Initialization of
Administrative Disciplinary Cases against COA Personnel.

This Memorandum sets forth procedural guidelines governing the preliminary inquiry into
and initiation of administrative cases against personnel of the Commission on Audit the primary
responsibility for which has been conferred jointly on the Administrative Office and the Legal
Office under COA Office Order No. 79-2506.

I. Any and all administrative disciplinary complaints filed by any person or officer
against officials and employees of the Commission on Audit shall be forwarded to the
Complaints and Fact-Finding Unit in the Administrative Office as created under COA Office
Order No. 70-2506, hereinafter referred to as Unit for brevity.

II. Upon receipt of the complaint, the Unit shall forthwith undertake a preliminary
inquiry into the same and/or evaluation thereof with a view to determining the existence of a
prima facie case for the offense or offenses charged therein. In its discharge of such
undertaking, the Unit shall observe and be guided by pertinent provisions of the Civil Service
Law and Rules as well as COA Memorandum No. 76-48 on the form and contents of
administrative complaints filed against public officers by any other person.

III. After such evaluation of the complaint and/or preliminary inquiry, if there exists no
prima facie case in the opinion of the Unit, the Manager of the Administrative Office shall
accordingly inform the Chairman thereof, recommending the complaint be dropped and the
matter considered closed.

IV. If, upon such inquiry and/or evaluation, there is found to exist a prima facie case
against the respondent official or employee the Manager of the Administrative Office shall
forward the entire record of the complaint to the Legal Office, Attn: Investigation and
Prosecution Division. In its covering transmittal communication to the Legal Office, the Unit
shall include a brief employment history of the COA employee complained against, a statement
and theory of the case, identity of the other parties thereto, the laws, rules and regulations
involved, names of probable witnesses, supporting evidence, and other essential particulars.

V. Upon receipt of such record, and if, after a review thereof, it concurs in the
findings of the Unit as to the existence of a prima facie case, the Legal Office shall forthwith
formulate and prefer the formal charges against the respondent and submit the corresponding
communication to the Chairman for appropriate disposition. Further proceedings thereon shall
be conducted in faithful compliance with the pertinent provisions of the Civil Service Law and
Rules and COA Memorandum No. 76-48.
 VI. If, in its opinion, upon a review of such record, there exists no prima facie case
as found by the Unit, the Legal Office shall elevate the matter to the Chairman with a
recommendation to drop the complaint.

This Memorandum shall take effect immediately.

(SGD.) FRANCISCO S. TANTUICO, JR.

Acting Chairman