Return vehicles or face raps, Bermejo told
ROXAS CITY – The City Council has urged former Mayor Vicente Bermejo to return the vehicles he used when he was mayor or face a graft case.
Councilor Julius Abela, chairman of committee on laws and good government, recommended the filing of graft case against Bermejo if he fails to return the vehicles.
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, based on the investigation conducted by Abela’s committee.
However, the Nissan Safari Patrol vehicle is registered under the provincial government’s name, and all these vehicles are now in the custody of the provincial government.
Abela then said the city government will retrieve the three vehicles in a diplomatic way.
But Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco Sr., said in a radio interview, the city government has no basis to retrieve the vehicles because these were bought by Bermejo when he was governor, and later brought these to the City Hall when he (Bermejo) became mayor.
Provincial General Services Office head Eduardo Apaap had earlier said these vehicles have memorandum receipts and property issuance slips to the PGSO, based on their file.
Apaap also 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.
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.
However, the vehicles were reportedly returned to the provincial government by Bermejo before he stepped down as city mayor for him to avail of his terminal benefits.*
