Gas station operator might sue Citom chief

CEBU, Philippines - The owner of a gasoline station along Natalio Bacalso Avenue is contemplating on filing criminal charges against City Traffic Operations Management executive director Arnel Tancinco should the latter fail to prove that his security guard is the one collecting fees from the minibuses that were using the gas station’s premises as their terminal.

“Kinahanglang iya g’yod nang pamatud-an kay kun dili siya makaprobar ikiha nako siya,” said Jose Gemini “Gigi” Lao, the owner of Caltex Gasoline Station fronting the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Lao said he already consulted his lawyer about his plan.

Lao got furious when Tancinco, in his report to Mayor Tomas Osmeña, claimed that he personally witnessed when the security guard of the gas station collected P100 from every minibus dispatched from its premises which served as temporary terminal.

Tancinco also claimed he saw that the amount collected by the security guard was quickly turned over to the cashier of the gas station and that the establishment’s supervisor named “Gingging” had told him that Lao had given her the go signal to have the area used as temporary terminal.

Lao, who called up The FREEMAN yesterday, claimed that it was him who personally went to the Citom office last November 17 after Tancinco issued him a notice of violation for allegedly allowing a terminal operation within the gas station’s premises.

The businessman said that, on that day, he requested Tancinco to apprehend the drivers of the minibuses because they were overcrowding his premises that may discourage his clients to buy their fuel supply from his firm, but Tancinco reportedly failed to act on his request.

“Nganong gikan sa Nobyembre 17 wala man g’yod siya manakop? Nganong naabtan pa man og mga usa ka buwan usa siya mihimo og pagpanakop sa mga drayber?” Lao asked.

The FREEMAN tried but failed to contact Tancinco for his comment.

Lao also criticized city treasurer Ofelia Oliva for announcing that the city will slap him with a P100,000 fine for allowing its premises to be used as temporary terminal of south-bound minibuses without permits, saying “Nganong mitoo man sab dayon ang city treasurer sa one-side statement ni Tancinco?”

One of Oliva’s personnel explained that the P100,000 fine to be imposed against the gas station operator is based on the number of days that the violations had been committed.

As of yesterday, the minibuses stopped using the gas station as their terminal because they already moved to the nearby Citilink Terminal. — Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)