COA sees more Davao Sur anomalies

Cedric Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

HAGONOY, Davao del Sur—The Commission on Audit (COA) has found more signs of irregularities in a project that was left unfinished here by a company partly owned by controversial businessman Cedric Lee, according to Gov. Claude Bautista.

Bautista, in a press conference, told reporters here that the COA found a “serious discrepancy” between the actual and “reported” accomplishments of the company, which built the Davao del Sur Sports complex in this town.

For three months, the COA had been investigating the P500-million project, which was won by Izumo Contractors Inc., a construction firm that is headed by Lee as president.

The sports complex project— consisting of a coliseum, a rubberized track and an Olympic-size swimming pool—started rising on June 16, 2009. Under the original contract, Izumo was to finish it on April 12, 2010.

The deadline, however, was not met and the company requested for and was granted an extension several times, according to Bautista.

As the project stands now, the governor said it remained unfinished despite all the deadline extensions.

“According to the COA report, which will officially be issued in March, the accomplishment on paper was 95 percent but based on physical appearance, the project is just 75 percent done,” he said.

Bautista said this was not just some minor discrepancy and the lack of will of the administration of his predecessor,

Gov. Douglas Cagas, to run after Izumo was puzzling.

“We cannot understand why an LGU (local government unit), such as the Davao del Sur provincial government, has to be very lax on contractors not finishing their job,” Bautista said, adding that there were even efforts to manipulate audit reports.

He said Cagas even had a reputation of being “strict” when it came to project implementation.

“Other LGUs would sue any contractor even if the project lapsed for just 15 days. But this one is nearly five years already,” he said.

Cagas continued to be mum over the issue.

Bautista said that when the full COA report is finally furnished his office, the filing of charges against Cagas and other officials would immediately take place. Inquirer Mindanao