Capitol probes 3 projects with missing procurement docs

Local

THREE provincial infrastructure projects worth P7.65 million have become the focus of further scrutiny after the records needed to trace their procurement could not be found.

Assistant Provincial Legal Counsel Atty. Romielyn Macalinao said the three projects are among 15 infrastructure projects being reviewed by the Cebu Provincial Government over questioned or incomplete procurement documents.

“Currently confirmed, we have three projects nga we cannot locate the documents,” Macalinao said.

The three projects include a P550,000 project involving 112 reinforced concrete lamp post head stems in Asturias, Carmen, Barili and Toledo City.

Another project involved 467 reinforced concrete lamp post head stems in Balamban and Toledo City and cost P2.4 million.

Macalinao said both lamp post projects involved the same contractor.

The third project is a P4.7-million road and shoulder concreting project in Aloguinsan.

Macalinao said the missing procurement records are among the reasons the projects were placed under investigation as the province determines what happened to the documents and whether the deficiencies can still be addressed.

The province has not paid for the three questioned projects and has not transmitted them to the Commission on Audit because of the unresolved documentary requirements.

Macalinao said the province is avoiding payment while the procurement records remain incomplete, noting that the absence of the documents could affect the validity of a government contract.

“Maconsider gud nga null and void ang contract if wala oy procurement documents,” she said.

The investigation covers infrastructure projects inherited by the administration of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro.

The provincial government initially identified 20 questioned projects but later reduced the list to 15 after former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) secretariats were given an opportunity to search for and recover documents.

While records were recovered for some projects, the three identified by Macalinao remained without located procurement documents.

Baricuatro ordered the investigation through a memorandum issued on July 28, 2025. The Provincial Engineering Office subsequently issued suspensions involving the projects in September 2025.

Macalinao said the current BAC encountered difficulties locating the records because there was no proper turnover of documents from the previous administration.

“Paglingkod sa current Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), they were given the documents as is unya wapa gud formal ceremonial turnover,” she said.

The three projects are expected to be included in the province’s planned endorsement to the Office of the Ombudsman for further investigation.

Macalinao said the Provincial Legal Office is still completing its investigation and would not disclose the personnel involved or the current status of the planned complaint.

“As to the action of the provincial legal office sa endorsement of the investigation before the Ombudsman, we will not divulge as to the parties involved as well as unsa nay current status niya. But rest assured that it is ongoing and it will be endorsed before the Office of the Ombudsman,” she said.

The PLO is also pursuing a separate endorsement to the National Bureau of Investigation, which will be handled by the PLO consultant as a private complainant.

Macalinao stressed that the Capitol investigation is focused on provincial personnel allegedly involved in the questioned transactions, while contractors and other private individuals may be subject to separate proceedings.

She said the absence of documents alone does not constitute a final determination of liability.

The provincial government said the review remains ongoing, with the planned Ombudsman investigation expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the projects and determine whether administrative or criminal violations were committed.(MyTVCebu)