The Commission on Audit (COA) on Tuesday, Sept. 26, recommended the filing of charges against former officials of the Silang, Cavite local government after finding several unfinished and allegedly anomalous projects.
Silang Mayor Kevin Anarna during his inspection of the unfinished school building at Lucsuhin Elementary School
According to COA, it has recommended the filing of charges against former Silang Mayor Silang Mayor Socorro Poblete and the contractors of the projects which have already cost losses to the local government unit (LGU) in millions of pesos.
A COA Audit Observation Report (AOM) dated Dec. 28, 2022 found an overreporting in the Statement of Work Accomplished (SWA) on two projects. These projects include the construction of the new Rural Health Unit (RHU) and the 12-classroom building of Lucsuhin Elementary School.
According to the AOM, the RHU building was only 65.51 percent completed, as opposed to the 98.34 percent reported on the SWA, while the 12-classroom building at Lucsuhin Elementary School was only 21.07 percent complete, a huge difference from the reported SWA of 94.09 percent.
Silang Mayor Kevin Anarna had earlier expressed his disappointment after inspecting the school and seeing the students holding their classes with umbrellas to cover their heads.
Anarna said Lucsuhin Elementary School students attend classes holding umbrellas at the partially open covered court when it rains. He added that some students have started getting sick after being soaked in the rain during class.
The Special Education Building (SPED) has also reportedly been left hanging by the contractor, leaving educators with no choice but to teach SpEd students in the school canteen.
Another COA AOM dated Jan. 23, 2023 found that the rehabilitation project of the drainage system in Metro Silang that cost more than P12 million was only 75 percent complete when it was “abandoned without valid grounds by the contractor.” Advance payment made to the contractor amounting to P484,261.26 was not returned.
Another contract entered into by Poblete on Aug. 4, 2021 was for the construction of a Special Education Building (SPED) in Silang Central School worth P6,601,666.40.
According to COA AOM No. 23-004 (2022) dated Jan. 1, 2023, the project was reported to be 100 percent complete as per the last SWA and Certificate of Completion and Final Acceptance attached to the project’s disbursement voucher.
The same report stated that “the release of the retention money was allowed despite the fact that the consecution was not on schedule and satisfactorily undertaken, in violation of the earlier discussed provision of RA 9184” and that the retention money deducted from the progress billings was “deficient by P175,698.38.”
COA also flagged 13 infrastructure projects under Poblete's administration that started in December 2020 until April 2022 and that were reported completed by the end of 2022.
It had observed that these projects costing more than P72 million reached 95 percent accomplishment “without undergoing preliminary inspections” and with the contractor not receiving any punch-lists, which contain “remaining works, work deficiencies for necessary corrections, and the specific duration/time to fully complete the project considering the approved remaining contract time.
The COA AOM dated Feb. 22, 2023 said “The existence, completeness, reliability and accuracy of the reported year-end balances of the Property, Plan and Equipment (PPE) accounts aggregating P2,758,890,226.22 cannot be fully ascertained due to the inability of the Municipality to conduct complete physical count of PPE and the noted discrepancies of P2,304,537,018.80 between accounting records and the Report on the Physical Count of Property, Plant and Equipment (RPCPPE), contrary to Section 124 of the Manual on the New Government Accounting System (MNGAS) for Local Government Units (LGUs), Volume I, and Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 2020-006.”
The agency also discovered five more projects that were found "problematic" which include the drainage project in Barangay Malaking Tatiao, the Home Economics Building of Silang Central School, the Storm Drainage System along Metro Silang, and the construction and installation of traffic signalization along Aguinaldo Hi-way corner P. Caramanzana Intersection T-Junction at San Miguel II, Silang.