Council okays resolutions on Customs car donation

The City Council has approved two resolutions on the donation by the Bureau of Customs of 10 forfeited right-hand-drive vehicles to the city government.

In a resolution filed by Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, the council gave Mayor Tomas Osmeña the authority to sign an endorsement, based on its letter to Cebu Port Authority manager Mariano Martinez, for the payment of P100,205.28 in storage charges for the cars that BoC had donated to the city.

The resolution also sought to use at least P950,000 from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation fund for the mechanical conversion, repainting and installation of blinkers of the 10 cars for police use.

Last month, Department of Finance undersecretary Gaudencio Mendoza Jr., in his letter to Jakosalem, recommended to the bureau the donation of the forfeited vehicles to the city.

Mendoza said the department raised no objection to the donation provided that pertinent Customs laws are followed.

Jakosalem said the Cebu City Police Office would be using the donated vehicles for its activities during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit from December 11 to 14.

The councilor added that the cars would be converted into left-hand-drive vehicles prior to their release from the bureau custody.

Since the expenses will be shouldered by the city, he said the conversion of the donated cars must be done in a city-accredited vehicle repair shop. - Garry B. Lao