CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Government is taking back properties the previous administration has donated to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) 7 for lack of approval from the Commission on Audit (COA).
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia met with CIDG-7 director Edwin Dayag Tuesday last week to inform him of the Capitol’s intention to recover the 679-square-meter property along Gorordo Ave. in Cebu City that was donated by the previous administration in August 2018.
Garcia said the donation was defective because it did not have prior approval from the COA as required under the law. The property has a commercial value of P88.3 million. The governor, however, offered the CIDG-7 to transfer to another Capitol-owned property in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City through a usufruct agreement.
“We will do the proper documentation on the basis of COA observation na walang prior COA approval. This deed of donation needs to be revoked and enter into a deed of usufruct with CIDG for another piece of property that you and the real estate (Provincial Capitol) decide upon in the designated government center,” Garcia told Dayag during their meeting.
In a Sugbo News report, the governor said she will not give away provincial lots because these are owned by the Cebuanos.
“Diyan talaga dapat because that’s already designated as a government center. Not that very valuable piece of property - highly commercial value along Gorordo Ave. That should have never been donated. In fact, it can even be grounds for complaint with the Ombudsman on the grounds that it is grossly disadvantageous to the Province of Cebu. Why that property should be given when we still have available lots in the designated government center?” the governor explained.
Dayag told Garcia he had no problem with Capitol taking back the property. He said the CIDG-7 is even grateful to the governor for providing them space at the government center in Sudlong, Lahug. Aside from CIDG-7, the Capitol will also transfer the HPG-7.
Like in the case of CIDG-7, the property donated to HPG-7 also did not have prior approval from COA.
The Capitol is also amending the usufruct agreements then governor Hilario Davide III entered into with the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) 7 and the Bureau of Treasury (BOT) 7 for the use of provincial lots for 50 years.
Garcia wants to reduce the period to 25 years renewable for another 25 years as may be agreed by the parties. The Cebu Provincial Board approved on Monday a resolution authorizing Garcia to sign a new agreement with RIAS-7 and BOT-7.
The amendment to the agreement was also anchored on the observation of COA that it did not have prior authorization as prescribed under COA Circular 2017-003 in relation to Section 197 of COA Audit Circular 92-386 dated Oct. 20, 1992. — FPL (FREEMAN)