City councilors want to retrieve Bermejo vehicles from Capitol
ROXAS CITY – The city government wants to retrieve the vehicles brought by former Mayor Vicente Bermejo from provincial government to the city government, and later returned to the Capitol.
Councilor Julius Abela, chairman of the committee on good government, reported during Tuesday’s session that based on the conclusion of their committee hearing, the vehicles, including two Mitsubishi Pajeros with plate numbers SHT 850 and SHT 860 and Isuzu Manlift truck with plate number SHW437, are registered in the name of city government.
However, Abela said the Nissan Safari Patrol vehicle is registered under the provincial government’s name. All these vehicles are now in the custody of the provincial government.
Abela said the city government will retrieve the three vehicles in a diplomatic way. He said the City General Services Office is given one week to get these from the provincial government.
Meanwhile, Provincial General Services Office head Eduardo Apaap said that these vehicles have memorandum receipts and property issuance slips to the PGSO based on their file.
Apaap said he will seek the opinions of the Commission on Audit, and lawyer Jose Villanueva, provincial administrator and legal counsel, before deciding to give up the vehicles.
Last week, Vice Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, in a privilege speech, said the committee on good government will look into the registration details of the two Mitsubishi Pajeros, Nissan Safari Patrol, and Isuzu Manlift truck.
The four vehicles were purchased by Bermejo when he was still governor of Capiz. When he became city mayor in 2007, he brought the vehicles with him to the City Hall.
The Bermejo camp had earlier claimed the vehicles were donated by the provincial government to the city government when these were recalled by the new administration under Gov. Victor Tanco Sr.
Rey Cordenillo, city administrator during Bermejo’s stint, said the cars were already registered in the name of the city government.
However, the vehicles were returned to the provincial government by Bermejo before he stepped down as city mayor for him to avail of his terminal benefits.
