COA: Bacolod's Gov't Center within budget limit
BACOLOD CITY – The new government center of the City Government of Bacolod situated at the 5-hectare donated property of the Gonzaga family at the Circumferential Road here is almost complete, but it still lack the electricity connections, furniture and fixtures necessary for its full utilization.
Controversies on this government edifice came left and right as other citizens of Bacolod find it as over-priced and lacks transparency in the conduct of bidding from the very start.
The City Government of Bacolod constructed this almost 12,000 square meter edifice via a loan from the Philippine National Bank in the amount of P400 million payable within 15 years.
Atty. Archie Baribar, former City Councilor, and retired policeman Victor Eduardo filed 12 complaints before the Ombudsman composing six administrative cases and six criminal cases against Mayor Evelio Leonardia and some city officials who supported the project.
They sought the suspension of those officials who allegedly connived on this project.
However, City Legal Officer Atty. Allan Zamora said that the Technical Services of the Commission on Audit (COA) has reported to Sheila Portal, State Auditor of Bacolod City, that the new government center, is within the budget limit and therefore, not over-priced.
Zamora said that he presented the said COA report, which was issued last July of 2007, before the Ombudsman Visayas, during the clarificatory questioning held in Cebu City last June 26, 2008.
Zamora said that it was COA which declared that the cost of the new government center is not overpriced.
Earlier, Baribar said that despite the lack of land title of the 5-has. Property donated by the Gonzaga family and the necessary appropriation ordinance, still the city has pursued the construction of the new government center.
But Zamora said that the original title was indeed missing from the Register of Deeds, thus the donor filed a judicial reconstitution before the Regional Trial Court and it was granted.
The said property is now under the name of the City of Bacolod through a tax declaration.
Zamora further said that under the Procurement Law, there is no need for an appropriation ordinance but an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC).
But the 15% mobilization fund amounting to P59 million was already covered by an appropriation ordinance.
He believes that the complaints filed by the camp of Eduardo are baseless and have political agenda.
Meanwhile, Atty. Baribar recently said that if those complaints they filed were without basis, why is it that they all traveled to the Ombudsman in Cebu to appear in the clarificatory questioning.
He said that public funds should not be spent on a private property just like the property where the government center is located because for now, they believe that it is still a private property citing the lack of the land title, which will authorize the transfer of the said property under the name of the City of Bacolod.