Margot suing brgy captains over cars

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City acting mayor Margot Osmeña said legal actions will be taken against barangay officials who refused to return the city-owned vehicles despite her recall order.

Osmeña said only 34 out of 80 barangay captains had complied with the order. She said those who did not were already reported to the police after the deadline had lapsed.

”Let us assume less than half pa ang niuli. Gamay pa. I don’t know if anybody returned yesterday. The vehicles belong to Cebu City. They just return. They don’t own it. Period,” Osmeña reiterated her position.

At least 28 barangay captains, who were among those who did not return the service vehicle issued to them, met yesterday at the law office of suspended Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella to discuss their next move after the acting mayor had reported the matter to the police.

The barangay captains want clarification if they are covered by the memorandum because their service vehicles have been used also for emergency.

Labella said he will write a clarificatory letter to the acting mayor which will be signed by the barangay captains.

Philip Zafra, president of the Association of Barangay Councils, said some of the barangay captains were not able to attend the meeting yesterday because of short notice.

“So ang amo lang para sad magkaistoryaanay mi what action to take next after that. So mao naari lang mopundok sa opisina ni vice mayor aron sad makapangayo ta og legal advice but just the same ang atong vice mayor nibuhat sad siya ug  letter addressed sa acting mayor to clarify things consistent with the memorandum issued last May 17. So murag follow up lang tong kang vice mayor sa amo nga letter last may 24,” Zafra  said.

He explained more than 40 barangay captains were expected to sign the clarificatory letter but some were not able to come.

Osmeña, on the other hand, believes that there is nothing to be clarified in her memorandum because it was clearly stated that emergency vehicles are excluded.

The acting mayor said emergency vehicles include ambulance, fire trucks and police cars. She said pickup vehicles that were issued to the barangay captains do not fall under emergency classification and therefore should be returned.

Besides Osmeña said there are also 18 brand new ambulances worth P16.3 million delivered last week that are about to be distributed to address the concerns of the barangay officials in cases of emergency.

Osmeña said the city government is just waiting for trained personnel to man these new ambulances.

The barangay captains were concerned that there will be no more vehicles that can be used in emergency situation if they return their service cars.

“We are very much concerned because anything can happen at any time. Any emergency situations would arise at anytime in any far barangays in the City of Cebu,” Labella said

Labella said that if the purpose of the turning over of the vehicles is for inventory, he requested the acting mayor to just send a team to the different barangays to conduct the inventory.

“If the purpose is for inventory then I am pleading and requesting honorable acting Mayor Margot Osmeña to send a team to the respective barangays to conduct an inventory sa mga kapitan,” Labella said.—Edwina G. Marantal and Chelsea M. Malazarte