By LITO RULONA Correspondent A BARANGAY official in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, has expressed apprehensions over the ongoing construction of the town’s new municipal hall, saying the slow pace of the construction indicates that the multimillion-peso project would not be finished by the time Mayor Redentor Salvaleon steps down next year. The town government reportedly secured a P34-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for the project, and the promise was that the construction of the new town hall would be completed by January next year. The project site is in Zone 2, Poblacion. “During the ground breaking, ilang gisaad nga mahuman kini karong January 2016,” said Poblacion barangay chairman Moisses Macabasa. Macabasa said he has been receiving complaints, and many villagers in the town share his worry that the project would not be finished on time, and not during the mayorship of Salvaleon. “Isip usa sa tigbalantay sa buhis sa katawhan mabalaka na kita tungod kay pila na lamang ka bulan ang nabilin unya wala pa gihapon mahuman,” Macabasa said. He said he led a group in inspecting the construction project, and only about 30 percent was completed. “Basin sab mahuman kini sa target date pero hinay man kaayo ang trabaho,” Macabasa said. Based on the public notice of the Commission on Audit (COA), the construction of the new Claveria municipal hall started on Jan. 25, 2015, and the completion date has been set on Jan. 16, 2016. The project, given a contract budget of P34.941 million, was awarded to E.M. Paule Construction and Trading with Architect R.D. Gaula and Associates as construction consultant. Macabasa said he felt he had to speak up because the project is being undertaken in Zone 2, Sitio Migbanday in his barangay. He also expressed apprehensions because the multimillion-peso loan would be paid by the town government using local taxes. “Mahuman na unta kini para magamit sa katawhan. Garbo kini namo dinhi sa Claveria,” he said. Macabasa also expressed alarm over allegations that the town government already received a billing when only about 30 percent of the project has been finished. He said the local government cannot pay more than what has been accomplished. The construction of the new municipal hall building has reportedly been included in a special audit conducted by the COA regional office. Others being looked into are the municipal expenditures on fuel consumption, cash advances for travelling expenses and confidential and intelligence expenses, inventory of equipment and vehicles, inventory of personnel, all contracts and procurements of materials and goods above P50 thousand, and grain post-harvest facilities at barangays Malagana and Patrocinio in Claveria.