7 Cebu City Village Chiefs Charged For ‘Failure’ To Return Gov’t-Issued Cars

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against seven village executives here for their alleged failure to return to the city government the vehicles assigned to them.

They were charged for violation of Article 221 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), which penalizes the failure to return public property to the government.

The filing of the case before the Metropolitan Trial Court in Cities was confirmed by Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman.

Also charged with Ayuman were Barangay Captains Ana Tabal of Tagbao, Rosalita Callino of Buot, Lemar Alcover of Sambag 1, Philip Zafra of Tisa, Yolandito Cagang of Basak Pardo and former Tinago Barangay Captain Joel Garganera.

Garganera was elected city councilor in the May 2016 elections.

The criminal complaint was in relation to the refusal of these barangay officials to heed a May 2016 memorandum of then Cebu City Acting Mayor Margarita Osmeña directing all barangay captains to return their issued vehicles to the city government.

The barangay captains said they have returned the city government-issued vehicles but these were delayed because the memorandum receipts of the cars were still under their names.

Ayuman said they are waiting for the issuance of warrants of arrest against them.

Ayuman said they are ready to post bail set at Php6,000 each. (PNA)LAP/BS/EB