Boracay. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Audit (COA) has held liable an official of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) for the alleged fictitious delivery of P25 million worth of construction materials for a sanitation project on Boracay.
COA Chair Grace Pulido-Tan and Commissioners Heidi Mendoza and Rowena Guanzon affirmed a COA-Corporate Government Sector report finding Armando Miranda, infrastructure sector deputy manager of the Tieza (formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority) answerable to the government.
Two other Tieza officers were cleared by the COA officials for lack of evidence. They were Lydia Cosuco, operations sector deputy general manager, and Laura Garcia, who were found not to have taken part in the inspection and monitoring of the construction materials.
According to the COA report, the drainage components of the Boracay Environmental Infrastructure Project worth P25,207,282 and which were paid for by the government could not be found by a special COA team during an on-site inspection.
“It was further observed that there appeared to be connivance between some Tieza officers and employees, on the one hand, and Global-V, on the other, for the payment of the nonexisting construction materials,” the COA said.
It said that Miranda issued a memorandum dated Dec. 27, 2006, stating that he had evaluated the claim of the contractor with regard to the material delivery and gave the go-ahead for payment.
Such an act, according to the COA, showed manifest partiality and gross negligence on the part of Miranda, considering that he reviewed and certified the subject claims for payment.
And because of his memorandum, the Tieza’s special investigation committee recommended the filing of an administrative charge for gross neglect of duty and the imposition of a 90-day preventive suspension on Miranda.