Audit body urged to release Misamis Oriental report

CAGAYAN de Oro City Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas is urging the Commission on Audit (COA) to also release the annual audit report of the province of Misamis Oriental.

Acenas questioned COA’s intention on why it did not release the annual audit report of Misamis Oriental “when it was supposed to be made public together with the city hall report.”

“I received information from a reliable source that the COA report of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro were simultaneously released. But only the City Hall report was made public, which has been feasted by local reporters. Was it to humiliate us and hide the anomalies of Misamis Oriental?” he said.

Acenas urged COA to be fair in releasing the reports.

“So the people will know that Misamis Oriental has also some anomalies,” he said.

City Councilor Ramon Tabor agreed to Acenas’ call as he urged COA to be fair.

“A colleague told me that COA delayed the report of Misamis Oriental to highlight our report so the people will be made to understand that the City Government has many anomalies,” Tabor said.

The COA report revealed that the installation of traffic lights in the city, which was earlier done by the City Government reportedly for “demonstration purposes only,” did not follow the requirements under Republic Act 9184 or “An act providing for the modernization, standardization and regulation of the procurement activities of the government and for other purposes.”

The report also showed that the City Government failed to submit the perfected contracts of lease of the vacant spaces at the Cogon and Carmen Public Markets.

Councilor Edgar Cabanlas earlier challenged Mayor Vicente Emano to explain the COA report.

However, Councilor President Elipe said these should all be left to the court to decide.

“Let the court handle the case,” Elipe said.

According to him, Emano and 12 city councilors were already facing graft charges filed by businessman Jacky Ching of New Wishing Star.

Ching won the bidding to rent the second and third floors of the Carmen Public Market.

However, his contract of lease was terminated by the City Government for alleged violations and inconsistencies.

The COA report revealed that the City Government failed to submit copies of contracts and other supporting documents to COA.

Under Section 3.1 of COA Circular 2009-001, a copy of government contracts, purchase orders and their supporting documents must be submitted to COA for purposes of audit and review.

Under the said COA circular, a copy of a government contract must be submitted within five working days from the execution of a contract by the government or any of its subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities.

The report, however, said COA only received copies of ordinances “ordaining the lease of the 2nd and 3rd floors of Cogon Public Market and the 2nd Floor of Carmen Public Market.”

The said ordinances, which were enacted on February 1, 2011, February 22, 2011 and April 5, 2011, allowed Emano to negotiate with prospective investors, offer for long-term lease at the rate of P10 per square meter per month, and to enter into a contract of lease with 858 Market Complex Inc. represented by Mr. Shi Xu Bo, covering the lease of the vacant spaces at the second and third floors of Cogon Public market for a period of 25 years.