The spokesman of the Commission on Audit yesterday denied that the COA is deliberately delaying a ruling on the deed of sale and contract of lease on the 7.7-hectare Negros Occidental provincial government property to Ayala Land Inc.

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. had said earlier that the provincial government had submitted the deed of sale and contract of sale for review to the COA in July last year yet, but it had not received any reply on why a resolution was taking so long despite several queries.

COA spokesperson . Gilbert Kintanar, in an interview over Bombo Radyo yesterday morning , said the Commission proper composed of COA chairperson and two commissioners will deliberate on the contracts on March 19.

“We are doing our job to hasten this process because Gov. Marañon is asking us for speedy disposition of the case,” he said.

However, the COA needs to take a look at the legality and reasonableness of the price, and whether the profit, as required by law is followed as this involves a big amount of money, he added.

“The COA approval is a requirement of the law in the disposition of property by any government agency or any local government units,” Kintanar also said.

The COA Central Office received the COA Western Visayas Regional Director Salvador Isiderio’s endorsement of the deed of sale and contract of lease of the Capitol’s property with his recommendation on Oct. 4, 2011, he said.

This was forwarded the following day by the Commission Proper Secretariat to the Legal Services Sector of COA that studied and returned the contract to the CP Secretariat January 11, 2012 which, in turn, scheduled it for deliberation by the Commission Proper’s meeting on January 19, 2012, he added.

After the January 19 deliberation, there were some questions raised and it was sent back to the Legal Services Sector for further study, Kintanar said.

The CP received the contract back on February 24, 2012 and it is set for deliberation in the next CP meeting scheduled on March 19, he added.

“We see no delay in the process, in fact, this may be the fastest case we have acted upon, because once the Secretariat received the document, it was immediately scheduled for deliberation in the next CP meeting,” Kintanar added.*CPG

back to top