Three Cebu provincial infrastructure projects worth a combined P7.65 million are being investigated after the procurement records needed to trace their transactions could not be located.
Assistant Provincial Legal Counsel Atty. Romielyn Macalinao said the three projects are among 15 infrastructure projects currently under review by the Cebu Provincial Government over questioned or incomplete procurement records.
The projects include a P550,000 contract for 112 reinforced concrete lamp post head stems in Asturias, Carmen, Barili and Toledo City and a P2.4 million project for 467 reinforced concrete lamp post head stems in Balamban and Toledo City. Both lamp post projects involved the same contractor, Macalinao said.
The third project involves the concreting of a road and shoulder section in Aloguinsan and has a project cost of P4.7 million.
“Currently confirmed we have three projects nga we cannot locate the documents,” Macalinao said.
The projects were inherited by the administration of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, which began reviewing questioned infrastructure projects following a memorandum issued by the governor on July 28, 2025.
The initial list covered 20 projects but was later reduced to 15 after former Bids and Awards Committee secretariats were given an opportunity to search for and recover documents. Some records were recovered for other projects, while the three identified by Macalinao remained without located procurement documents.
Macalinao said the missing records prompted further investigation as the province seeks to determine what happened to the documents and whether the deficiencies can still be addressed.
The Provincial Engineering Office subsequently issued suspensions involving the projects in September 2025.
The current BAC also encountered difficulties locating the records because there was no proper turnover of documents from the previous administration.
“Paglingkod sa currentk Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), they were given the documents as is unya wapa gud formal ceremonial turnover,” (When the current Bids and Awards Committee took office, they were given the documents as is, and there had still been no formal ceremonial turnover.) Macalinao said.
The province has not paid the questioned projects and has not transmitted them to the Commission on Audit because the documentary requirements remain unresolved.
Macalinao said the absence of procurement records could also have implications on the validity of a government contract.
“Maconsider gud nga null and void ang contract if wala oy procurement documents,” (The contract may be considered null and void if there are no procurement documents.) she said.
The three projects are expected to be included in the province’s planned endorsement to the Office of the Ombudsman for further investigation.
Macalinao said the Provincial Legal Office is still completing its investigation and would not disclose the identities of the personnel involved or the current status of the planned complaint.
“As to the action of the provincial legal office sa endorsement of the investigation before the Ombudsman, we will not divulge as to the parties involved as well as unsa nay current status niya. But rest assured that it is ongoing and it will be endorsed before the Office of the Ombudsman,” (As to the action of the Provincial Legal Office regarding the endorsement of the investigation before the Ombudsman, we will not divulge the parties involved or its current status. But rest assured that it is ongoing and it will be endorsed before the Office of the Ombudsman.) she said.
The PLO is also pursuing a separate endorsement to the National Bureau of Investigation, which will be handled by a PLO consultant acting as a private complainant.
Macalinao said the Capitol investigation focuses on provincial personnel allegedly involved in the questioned transactions, while contractors and other private individuals may face separate proceedings.
The provincial government said the review remains ongoing and that the absence of documents alone does not constitute a final determination of liability.
The planned Ombudsman investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the three projects and determine whether administrative or criminal violations were committed.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
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