By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City — The city’s General Services Office (GSO) head asked Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez to turn over all city government-owned properties in his custody.
Jerome Solinap said these are a six-wheeler Isuzu Elf mini dump truck (plate no. JDV-391) and a 28-foot fiberglass patrol boat and its accessories.
In a letter dated May 8, 2014, Solinap told Lopez that he was only reminding him of his letter dated February 19, 2014, containing a similar request.
He earlier said city government properties must be kept by the city hall.
A government official or employee can take custody of a government property only if he has secured an Acknowledgment Receipt for Equipment, or ARE, he said.
Solinap said he has yet to check with his office if there is any document indicating that Lopez is “legally permitted” to take hold of the two equipment.
If Lopez has no ARE, it could be that he got hold of the dump truck because then Mayor Evelio Leonardia, his political ally, simply allowed him to, said Solinap.
The patrol boat was acquired by the city government as a donation from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in 2012. Lopez solicited for the boat.
Lopez promised to turn over the patrol boat this week. He said the city did not immediately get the boat because it failed to pay the forwarder (supplier) for its freight.
“I got to talk to the Ombudsman and asked for an administrative adjudication, but they told me to just write them to request for assistance and [proceed with delivering] the patrol boat,” he had said, adding that the Ombudsman can help make sure the supplier gets paid.
In a letter to Mayor Monico Puentevella dated May 8, 2014, Lopez said the dump truck is currently being used to serve the city residents.
“It is fully utilized for public service, and all expenses for gas, maintenance, tires and battery are being paid by [me],” he said.
He also asked Puentevella to allow him to continue using the dump truck for his various projects.
Puentevella said the GSO will check the condition of the patrol boat once Lopez turns it over.
Lopez on Friday turned over an e-trike (electric tricycle) donated by Aklan’s Cong. Teodorico Haresco when he was still a Kasangga party-list representative to the city then under Leonardia, but the GSO said the vehicle is unserviceable, said the mayor./PN
