River cruise boats owned by BSL, says Mata
OUTGOING City Administrator Vladimir Mata has backflipped on his claim before the Sangguniang Panlungsod two years ago that the three barges-turned-boats for the Dagupan river cruise are city-owned.
He told Acting Mayor Belen Fernandez that river cruise boats are actually owned by outgoing Mayor Benjamin Lim.
The boats are “technically owned by Mayor Lim,” said Mata.
The boats have gone missing from the ‘Daongan ed Dawel’, the jump-off point for the cruise, and police investigation showed that these were taken by employees of the Magic Group, a company owned by Lim.
Mata told Fernandez that there was a “miscommunication” over the sudden disappearance of the three riverboats saying that these were not pulled out but were only taken for repair.
Mata, however, could not say when these will be returned. He also failed to explain why the boats were stripped off accessories.
Mata’s admission about Lim’s ownership and the Magic Group’s involvement in the recent episode led to suspicions of irregularities regarding the use of the boats, which are supposedly intended for the city’s river cruise tourism project.
ILLEGAL
Based on records of the City Budget Office, the gasoline consumption and cost for repairs for these facilities were charged to the city.
“To my mind, the maintenance expenses for the river boats said now to be privately owned and charged to the city are, therefore, illegal because of the principle laid down by the Commission on Audit that no public fund must be spent for privately owned facilities, including vehicles and in this case, the river cruise boats,” said Fernandez.
The mayor elect also suspects that emergency workers were hired by the city to pilot these river cruise boats.
Fernandez has given instructions for the filing of cases for violation of the Ant-graft and Corrupt Practices Act against persons responsible for the misuse of public funds when the maintenance of the three privately-owned river cruise boats were charged to the city coffer.
The river cruise boats that disappeared were roofed with nipa shingles where tourists board for a cruise along the upstream portion of the Dawel River and back.
The boat’s loading equipment, according to police reports, were dismantled and loaded into a truck of the Magic Group while the boats were brought to the fishponds of Lim in Sitio Watac, Barangay Mamalingling.
The three river cruise boats were moored at the ‘Daongan ed Dawel’ which cost the city more than P10 million.
The costs of the construction of the dock were charged to the city after the project was already completed and without the benefit of an ordinance authorizing the project.
Based on records, some of the expenses incurred by the city for the ‘Daongan ed Dawel’ were: Construction of Site Development of River Cruise Dock at Dawel (Phase 1), P1.4 million; cost of 2 units HDPE Floating Pier (2.6m x 10m) with stainless steel ramp and guide post and support anchor/mooring@496,390/unit, P992,780; cost of various electrical supplies for the maintenance of 250W, HPS street light Lamps at Dawel-Pantal-Lucao National Highway; P181,945; last and final payment representing 100% accomplishment of construction of Dawel Tensile Fabric Cover, P1.6 million; cost of one set of sound system, c/o Rose Mary Teng Mejia, used at River Cruise, P125,300.; payment of last and final billing of the construction of River Cruise Dock, Phase III, P2.9 million; cost of first and final payment for the landscaping works for Dawel River Cruise Dock, P345,900; cost of last and final billing representing 100% of finishing work at River Cruise Dock, P1.9 million; Cost of various materials for the improvement of the Dawel River Cruise facilities (1 pc black galaxy granite (212 x 60) @11,440/pc; black galaxy granite (212×20)@11,424/pc, 2 pcs black galaxy granite (62×20)@9,178/pc, P330,359; and cost of various supplies used for improvement of Dawel River Cruise facilities, P153,162.
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