MANILA, Philippines - The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Thursday accused the Aquino administration of using Commission on Audit (COA) reports to harass opposition leaders ahead of the May midterm elections.

Rep. Tobias Tiangco, spokesman and campaign manager of UNA, claimed that the COA reports are being used by Palace-backed political operators to go after the opposition.

"Without fail, COA reports are released to media during the election season for obvious political purposes. Without fail, complaints are filed before the Ombudsman against political personalities and candidates based on COA reports," Tiangco said in a press statement.

He compared the Aquino administration's alleged "trash politics" to the Arroyo administration's "gimmicks" to gain "mileage in the elections."

"This year is no exception, But what this election year apart from the previous election years is the eagerness with which the Liberal Party--the so-called party espousing a righteous path-has embraced the discredited practices of the Arroyo regime of harassing political enemies with trumped up allegations which will not stand in a court of law," Tiangco said.

He also claimed that the ruling Liberal Party and its allies are "desperate."

"The demolition work against UNA leaders has intensified because the LP cannot deny what is happening on the ground. Big crowds are attending UNA rallies and sorties, while their political events are 'nilalangaw'," he said.

"Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senate pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada are not candidates. But they are leaders of UNA, and the clear intent is to hit our leaders hoping it would affect UNA candidates," he added.

"We could just as easily ask Senator Franklin Drilon, their campaign manager, to answer the long-festering questions about his purchase of a property in Forbes Park, but we won't because he is not a candidate," Tiangco said.