Baricuatro suspends infra, water projects for audit, compliance checks
BARICUATRO (right). (FB)
CEBU CITY – Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has ordered a province-wide suspension of infrastructure and waterworks projects for audit and compliance checks.
The suspension stemmed from a memorandum that Baricuatro issued on July 28 and took effect on Aug. 22.
The memorandum directed the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) to stop all ongoing works until contractors prove compliance with procurement laws, auditing standards, and related regulations.
The order affects 154 projects–140 under the PEO Construction Division and 14 under its Waterworks Division. These projects commenced during the administration of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
“This directive is effective immediately upon receipt and remains binding until formally ended in writing by this Office,” Baricuatro said.
In her State-of-the-Province Address last week, Baricuatro revealed alleged irregularities in Capitol-funded projects, some of which contributed to P1.1 billion in payables.
With the suspension, project plans, contracts, and implementation processes to detect irregularities or lapses will be examined.
The suspension also enforces compliance with Republic Act (RA) 12009, the law enacted in 2024 that replaced the Government Procurement Reform Act of 2003. It requires all government procurement to follow principles of transparency, competitiveness, accountability, efficiency, sustainability, and professionalism.