Anda Mayor Angelina “Inday†Simacio of this emerging potential tourist town remains unperturbed over the case filed against her and other officials before the Ombudsman office.
In an exlusive interview with this writer, Mayor Simacio said that her participation, if any, in the project was only ministerial.
The case stemmed from alleged overpricing in the construction of a cultural center project during the stint of her live-in partner former Mayor Paul Amper, a weekly paper said.
The news report added the Commission on Audit (COA) directed the officials concerned to refund the overprice fund “but they did not refund.â€
The mayor and others, including municipal treasurer Pedro Castrodes and planning officer Aida Visaya, were charged for violation of Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Mayor said that she had no participation in the bidding since she was not a member of the Bid and Awards Committee (BAC) when the project underwent in the process. And she said everything was above board.
Mayor Simacio, meanwhile, said she is focusing on the development on tourism industry of this town.
One of the concrete steps she initiated is the organization of 16 barangays’ information/tourism officers.
She said that these officers have vital roles in the industry but more have to be done to further market this town.
The mayor boasts of government-managed ‘Quinale’ beach resort, a public beach of long shoreline of white sand frequented by domestic and foreign visitors. There are also dives sites that attract the enthusiasts and La Manok Mystic island and the so-called ‘Blue heaven’ in barangay Katipunan, she said.
The mayor said that she is waiting for the completion of the restaurant of the ‘Quinale’ resort so that formal operations could start to cater tourists.
She said that the contractor of the project of some Php5 million courtesy of provincial government failed to complete in September as targeted. The project has already been delayed, she said. Â (With report from Rvo )