NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Wednesday, May 23 he will inquire with Lawyer Mary Ann Lamis of the Provincial Legal Office about the status of their investigation on the Negros First Animal Hub that has been constructed at the Panaad Park and Stadium without papers and bidding.
"My office will follow it up with Lamis. What we can do is ask Lamis about this, if they have already started the investigation and what is the result. We will push them to go ahead with the investigation assuming that they have not yet conducted or done with the investigation," Lacson said.
"It is our understanding that the Executive Branch will do the investigation so we thought that we should not have one," Lacson pointed out.
He earlier said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will conduct an investigation into the matter if they will not be satisfied with the investigation result conducted by the committee created by the governor.
For her part, Lamis Wednesday, May 23 assured the Negrenses that there is no whitewash in their investigation on the Animal Hub.
However, she said it is still premature at this point to make any statement because they still have to present to the governor about their plans, and the people who will interview pertaining to the issue.
Lamis is also the chair of the Provincial Bids and Awards Committee which was supposed to conduct the bidding on the provincial government projects including the Animal Hub.
"Definitely no cover-up. Our intention is not to cover up. We want to know the truth and we want justice. The members of the investigating panel have already met several times, and we already planned what to do but we still have to submit this to the governor," Lamis stressed.
Capitol supplier Eva Reso-or claimed responsibility for the construction of the Animal Hub.
She said she supplied all the materials for the construction of the building without any permit and papers from the provincial government.
She said she has a financier whom she refused to reveal.
The construction of the Animal Hub which is about 80 percent complete has been stopped. The provincial government has not touched the building since April this year when the anomaly was discovered.
"That is part of due process. We cannot jump to conclusions we need also to be able to conduct interviews. We have drafted something or a sort of a letter that we still have to show to the governor," said Lamis, without revealing specific details.