Some barangays reject city’s vehicles

CEBU, Philippines —  Some barangays in Cebu City have rejected the vehicles the city donated to them during the time of former mayor Tomas Osmeña owing to the vehicles’ poor condition.

Atty. June Maratas, head of the city’s Department of General Services, said the City Council had given the city the go signal to donate 117 vehicles to the barangays but some barangay captains did not sign the Deed of Donation and Acceptance.

The barangay captains reportedly went to his office to express their dismay over the poor condition of the vehicles.

Maratas did not name the captains.

He said they are now reviewing the documents for the vehicle, especially that the Deed of Donation expired when Osmeña’s term as mayor ended last month.

“We have to check pa kay bisan og dunay Deed of Donation, naay mga wala napirmahan. Check namo kon unsay napirmahan ug ang wala (We have to check because even if there was a Deed of Donation, there were documents that weren’t signed),” he told The FREEMAN.

H said it is now up to Mayor Edgardo Labella what to do with the vehicles.

“It’s up to mayor (Edgardo) Labella na kay ang ubang mga kapitan nang reklamo man nga guba na daw ang mga sakyanan nga ipanghatag (It’s now up to Labella, considering that some barangay captains have complained of the poor condition of the vehicles donated),” Maratas said.

Barangay Kasamban Captain Franklyn Ong, the president of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City, confirmed the barangay captains’ sentiments on the vehicles’ condition.

He said he will discuss the matter with Labella and hopes that the city help the barangays maintain the vehicles because this entails cost.

He said the barangays did not expect that they be given vehicles and have not allocated funds for maintenance.

The city decided to donate the vehicles to the barangays and even to some government agencies like the Cebu City Police Office, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-7, and Bureau of Fire Protection-7 precisely to free itself from too much expenditure on maintenance, repair, and fuel.

Labella said earlier he will gather all 80 barangays captains in Cebu City to discuss the city’s pressing problems with them, including flooding and garbage.

Meanwhile, Maratas said documents on the 437 firearms the city donated to the Cebu City Police Office have been signed. —  JMO (FREEMAN)