CCPO returns vehicles not subject to recall order

THE Cebu City Police Office returned four new Mitsubishi Adventure vehicles to city hall thinking that these were part of the memorandum recalling all city-owned police vehicles.

But the Cebu City General Services Office (GSO) clarified that there is no order given to the police to return city government-owned vehicles assigned to them.

The four vehicles were among the 18 given to the CCPO by the former administration before the May 2016 election. The vehicles were assigned to different police stations in the city and not to individual policemen.

CCPO acting director Senior Supt. Joel Doria said that he was informed that those vehicles should be returned to the city government.

“I was informed na pinabalik po yung mga sasakyan na hindi kasali sa recall. Ipapagamit na po sa station,” he said.

He said that even before he assumed office as the city director, there was already a recall order for these vehicles, but they learned about the document of recall only recently.

Doria said those vehicles were issued to the police stations, which is why they couldn’t find the documents covering these vehicles.

“We are trying to locate all documents sa supply office (of CCPO). However wala po tayong nalocate, directly na sa station kasi. Kaya pala nahirapan tayo. Like (recall on) firearms the same, so hindi dumaan sa supply sa headquarters sa CCPO. Dumiretso sa tao. Parang individual issuance. Kaya medyo nahirapan tayo (to return these vehicles),” he said.

However, GSO head Ronald Malacora said there seems to be a misunderstanding about the memorandum because the city did not issue a recall order for these vehicles.

“Sayop na sila sa ilang pagtoo. Nagtuo na sila nga ang memo para sa 15 Hilux mao na. Na copy furnished man sila ato (The police are mistaken in their belief that the memo covering the 15 Hilux pickups was the one that covered the 18 vehicles because they were also given a copy of that memorandum),” he said.

The 15 Hilux pickups were requested by the former CCPO chief Benjamin Santos. But when he and then Police Regional Office chief, Patrocinio Comendador, were summarily relieved without informing the mayor, Osmeña decided to hold the issuance of the 15 pickups.

Malacora said the only memorandum they issued was for the holding of the distribution of the 15 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the police.

Sought for comment, Osmeña said he did not issue a new order directing the police to return their vehicles.

“I have not recalled anything. I did not do anything there,” he said.

Yesterday afternoon, GSO returned the said vehicles to CCPO.