PINAMUNGAJAN Mayor Geraldine Yapha wants to find out who ordered the recall of four multicab vehicles from four barangays where Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia lost in the May 10 elections.
Yapha said the multicabs were taken by a Capitol team from Barangays Camugao, Tanibag, Lamac and Butong.
“The Provincial Government did not have the courtesy of calling me that they will get back the vehicles especially that Garcia offered them to the barangays through me,” Yapha said.
Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district) confirmed the pullout of the vehicles after information reached the governor that these were used for partisan politics in the elections.
Rep. Garcia said the vehicles were placed under the custody of the barangay officials under a memorandum of agreement with Capitol retaining their ownership.
“But these vehicles were used for partisan politics. This is illegal and a misuse of government property. Confiscating them is the first step. The second step is the filing of criminal charges against all barangay officials who used them for partisan political activities,” Rep. Garcia said.
But Yapha said she wouldn’t have minded the pullout had she been properly informed.
One barangay captain gave Yapha a copy of a letter informing her the Capitol would get the vehicles back.
Although not signed by Garcia, the letter stated “by the authority of the governor” and signed by Provincial Administrator Eduardo Habin.
The letter said the Province will use the vehicles for its official functions.
Yapha said that when the letter was delivered, the Capitol team, which brought with them drivers, immediately took the vehicles.
“The barangay officials and the people were dismayed because they have no more vehicles for barangay activities,” the mayor said.
She said the barangay officials and the people of Camugao, Tanibag, Lamac and Butong now have to walk if they have to attend community activities.
Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. described the vehicle pullout as a political vendetta.
Sanchez said the officials of these barangays had supported the candidacy of Hilario Davide III for governor, not Gwendolyn Garcia’s.
Capitol spokesman Rory Jon Sepulveda said the vehicles were not even recalled but confiscated since these were used for illegal activities.
“There were complaints. Several witnesses are willing to testify that these were used during the campaign period. We did not confiscate the vehicles during the campaign period so the culprits could not use (such action) as a political propaganda,” Sepulveda said.
**Note: A recent post on guestbook for
Cebu Province Official Website about Capitol's indifferences and "bad side" but has been deleted by the administrator, well it just shows that they only want the website to project what is good in them , if there is something good left, and not the dark side which the Queen of Darkness is very good at, people of Cebu Province , please be wary of the governor that you have elected and gave a fresh mandate for 3 years. I believe it is time for the PCGG and other Anti-graft agencies to look into the anomalies that has been haunting Cebu Province and may it be also to Cebu City in particular, ever since political dynasties have taken over.**
Capitol "confiscates" multicabs on towns which Gwen lost
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