| THE OBSERVER | By Glenn Vidal Beup |

The court found sufficient in form and substance, the civil case filed by the city government against former Mayor Vicente Bermejo for the recovery of three vehicles allegedly in his possession.

According to the complaint, the Isuzu manlift truck and two units of Mitsubishi Pajero Wagon were wrongly detained by the former mayor. They should have been properly turned over to the city government, the rightful owner. To recall, Bermejo ran for re-election but lost to now incumbent Mayor Alan Celino.

As a result of the civil case, the court issued a writ of replevin or recovery of possession of property which similarly requires the city government to deposit a bond of 3.9 million pesos. Whew!

In a statement made by Atty. Ador Ramos, city legal officer, the city government will still have to look for available funds or explore another option to satisfy the bond which is to be deposited as required by the court.

There is no question if the city government is seeking remedy through the court. The perception of the public on the action taken by the city officials is to harass the former mayor because the public is fully aware that the vehicles are now in the safekeeping of the province. Bermejo, according to my source, turned over the properties to the provincial government because he is facing liability and could not be cleared of his papers, a requirement for his terminal benefits.

According to Mr. Eduardo Apa-ap, general services officer of the province, the vehicles are now included in the list of properties of the province and are properly accounted. The said vehicles mentioned were bought by the provincial government during the incumbency of Bermejo as governor which he brought with him after he was elected as mayor of the city in 2008.

It was not clear however how the registration of these vehicles went to the city government without the benefit of a Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution! Donating properties to any local government unit needs not only an executive decision but also a legislative resolution! Klaro?

Was it not former Mayor Bermejo who’s responsible for manipulating the transfer of registrations to the city when technically the vehicles are still owned by the province?! Maybe that’s why the city government filed a civil action against the former mayor, a venue where he can also clear his side.

On the other hand, I don’t think it is necessary for the city government to go to court and post a 3.9-million peso bond after the GSO of the province had publicly claimed that the said vehicles are now in the guardianship of the province. The City Legal Officer himself admitted that there is no available fund or appropriation intended for such purpose.

If the city government wants to take possession of the vehicles, why undergo such tedious process? Mayor Alan Celino and Governor Victor Tanco can resolve this among themselves since they both belong to the same political party. An inexpensive remedy is just talking over a cup of coffee. And it would not create an impression that the relationship of Tanco and Celino is not getting better. Don’t forget, the taxpayers are at the losing end. Klaro?