Section 1
SECTION 1. Section five hundred eighty-four of the Revised Administrative Code is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 584. General jurisdiction of General Auditing Office.—The authority and powers of the General Auditing Office extend to and comprehend all matters relating to accounting procedure, including the keeping of the accounts of the Government, the preservation of vouchers, the methods of accounting, the examination and inspection of the books, records and papers relating to such accounts and to the audit and settlement of the accounts of all persons inspecting funds or property received or held by them in an accountable capacity, as well as to the examination, and audit of all debts and claims of any sort due from or coming to the Government of the Philippines in any of its branches. The said jurisdiction shall also extend to all corporations established and organized in accordance with the laws of the Philippines wherein the Government of the Philippines or any of its branches or any corporation owned or controlled by it owns the majority of stock as well as to all other self-governing board, commission or agency of the government. In the exercise of this jurisdiction, the Auditor General shall act as the ex-officio auditor of the said corporation, board, commission or agency and, as such, he is empowered and authorized to appoint a representative known as the auditor, in the said corporation, board, commission or agency and fix the salary thereof in an amount equal to the salary authorized for the first assistant or next ranking managing head of the corporation board, commission or agency concerned. The Auditor General shall also have the right to appoint, and fix the salaries and the number of, the personnel to assist said representative in his work. The expense for the maintenance and operation of his office shall be paid by the corporation, board, commission or agency concerned. Any provision of law or charter to the contrary notwithstanding, such salaries and number of auditing personnel, once fixed by the Auditor General, shall not be thereafter increased, diminished or altered unless initiated by him. Said representative and his subordinate personnel shall also receive such allowances and privileges as are or shall be allowed or authorized to management personnel having the same rank and/or salary. The necessary appropriations to cover the expenses for the maintenance and operation of the office of said representative shall be provided by the governing board, commission or agency concerned as long as unencumbered capital or surplus funds are available."