We strongly condemn the killing of Commission on Audit (COA) Auditor Guiaria Bagundang Akmad, the Supervising Auditor of Maguindanao Province, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. She was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Cotabato City on Friday, 10 January 2020.

We strongly urge the authorities to act swiftly on the case and conduct an impartial investigation so that the perpetrators may be brought to justice. The nature of the work of our auditors exposes them to risks to their safety but this has not and shall not deter us from doing our Constitutional duty. We ask the public to pray for the family of Auditor Akmad, and for the safety of our auditors and for their steadfast courage and integrity.