Gov. Erico Aumentado announced last Monday the switching between the heads of the General Services Office (GSO) and the Provincial Engineers Office (PEO).

General services officer Engr. Edwin Vallejos is being transferred as officer-in-charge of the PEO changing posts with provincial engineer Rosalinda Yu, who is set to assume as acting head of the GSO starting tomorrow after formal turnover of responsibilities in the two offices.

ENGR. VALLEJOS

Yu have been serving as head of the PEO for less than two months after her appointment sometime last May. In an interview with the Chronicle, Vallejos said that he had personally requested Gov. Aumentado to transfer him to the PEO due to family pressures. The revamp was decided as an offshoot of alleged attempts to overprice the procurement the controversial 18 air-conditioning units for the Bohol Cultural Center that leaked out to top provincial government officials.

Vallejos came underfire as the GSO is the requesting agency of the units formulating the contract estimates for the air-conditioning system.

Gov. Aumentado said that this is being done to finally remove doubts and public perception of irregularities at the GSO and in other provincial government offices.

Rumors of the revamp have been anticipated in the heat of public discussions regarding the alleged rigging in the air-conditioning deal.

Gov. Aumentado was irked upon learning that the deal allegedly promised "cash considerations" to some Capitol officials. He personally tasked provincial attorney Handel Lagunay, who is also bids and awards committee (BAC) chair, to personally canvass directly in Manila the prices of the air-conditioning system.

Last week, two members of the BAC secretariat were replaced while Vallejos was also relieved as its vice-chairman.

According to the governor the reassignment of Vallejos is being done to improve efficiency in the delivery of services in the provincial government and to maintain transparency in its transactions.

Engr. Yu's appointment as acting-general services officer, however, does not come with the BAC vice-chair portfolio, which according to Capitol sources, will be given to somebody else.

Gov. Aumentado said that, as part of his continuing reforms, he will issue an Executive Order for the creation of an Internal Audit Section (IAS) under his office to review all purchases made by the provincial government.

The governor also noted that in the 2005 Bohol Poll survey not a single office in the provincial government have been implicated of graft and corruption under his watch.

He also issued a challenge last Monday on those making allegations regarding the provincial government's overpriced purchase of a backhoe to give him copy of documents and other evidence to prove that there is an overpricing in said purchase.

Earlier reports said that the municipality of Inabanga purchased recently a backhoe with similar specifications and brand as the one planned to be bought by the provincial government in a much lower price.

Inquiries made by the governor however revealed that Inabanga did not make such purchase.

Aumentado clarified he will not hesitate to order for the cancellation of the bidding for said heavy equipment if he will be furnished documents that would prove the overpricing.