Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez concurred with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s observation that a P124-million infrastructure project in Bukidnon, initiated under the previous administration, fell outside the agency’s core mandate.

“I completely agree with Sen. Gatchalian's opinion. The previous administration should have not engaged in such a public works project that falls outside our core responsibility,” Gomez said in a statement on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The PCO chief confirmed that the facility, originally intended as the Government Communication Academy, will be turned over to the Northern Bukidnon State College (NBSC).

“The building's donation to the Northern Bukidnon State College is already being finalized,” Gomez said.

“Maraming mga mag-aaral sa ating state college sa Bukidnon ang makikinabang dito (Many students in our state college in Bukidnon will benefit from this),” he added.

In a statement, Gatchalian raised questions over why the then-Presidential Communications Operations Office contracted the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2019 to build an infrastructure project not directly related to its primary function.

According to the 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report, the project’s second phase was valued at P45.7 million in 2019, while subsequent COA reports from 2020 to 2023 listed a similar project amounting to P79 million.

The total cost has since reached P124 million, with construction reportedly 90 percent complete.

“Bakit may communications office ang PCO sa Bukidnon (Why does the PCO have a communications office in Bukidnon)?” Gatchalian asked, noting that the facility has no new allocation under the 2026 national budget.

The PCO earlier clarified that the project was conceived during the previous administration as a training center for communication offices under Malacañang and its attached agencies.