COA clears Davao City park project

DAVAO CITY – The Commission on Audit has cleared the construction of the People’s Park following an investigation on the alleged anomalies involved in the  controversial project.

“There is propriety in the handling of the disbursements for the People’s Park. We have not found any irregularity in the disbursements for its construction,” said lawyer Alfredo Reyes, Southern Min­danao chief of the local government cluster of the Commission on Audit.

Reyes said that his group already audited more than 70 percent or at least P51 million of the P70 million reported total project cost.

“And I have not found any impropriety with the handling of the disbursements with the park that is still a continuing project,” Reyes told The STAR.

He said that aside from checking on the vouchers that were made for the procurement of materials for the park, the auditors also checked with the hardware stores and other suppliers pertaining to the level of prices that were indicated in the expenses.

Reyes cited that the People’s Park is intended to be a nature theme park wherein it serves several purposes.

“People jog at the parks in the morning and in the afternoon, there are those who hold hands and in the evening, they just stroll around the park. Aside from leisure purposes, the park is also an educational center where people learn about nature and the environment with its many trees and giant sculptures showcasing the ethnic tribes in the region,” Reyes said.

Reports of alleged irregularities in the procurement of materials for the park forced Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to file a leave absence to pave the way for a thorough audit on the expenses in the construction of the People’s Park.