Government has wasted some P3.6 million in constructing 10 Quezon City loading and unloading bays that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has proposed, the Commission on Audit (CoA) reported recently.

In the 2009 MMDA annual audit report that COA released this week, state auditors also chided officials of the agency for resorting to the reimbursement of P61.6 million in procuring supplies and materials for the year.

State auditors led by Rizalina Mutia said the method of payment is against “sound accounting practices” and deviated from the provisions of the Government Procurement Law because the purchases could not be considered as “emergency.”

Among the officials who used the reimbursement process in purchasing their supplies were Asst. General Manager Edemison Fainsan, P25.6 million; Angelito Vergel de Dios, P12.6 million; Rodrigo Tuazon, P11.3 milliion; Baltazar Meigar, P8.7 milliion; Robert P. Esquivel, P6.2 million; Ramon Santiago, P135,757; Emmanuel Castro, P185,23; and Undersecretary Cesar Lacuna, P51,600.

CoA said the 10 loading and unloading bays constructed by the MMDA along Commonwealth Avenue have not been utilized thus “resulting in wastage of government resources.

”Each of the loading and unloading bays cost government P327,557.99 and were constructed from 20096 to 2009 upon the orders of then MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. Motorists have previously criticized the structures for causing bottlenecks along the main QC thoroughfare.

CoA said the loading and unloading bays were constructed in Philcoa, northbound, Ayala Techno Hub, northbound and southbound; Diliman Preparatory, northbound and southbound; Ever-Gotesco, northbound and southbound; St. Peter. Church, northbound and southbound, and Sandiganbayan, northbound.