Councilor wants probe on tires City bought

SAYING that the tires it bought for the use of Cebu City Government-owned vehicles are surplus goods, the Cebu City Council wants the General Services Office (GSO) investigated by the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

During their regular session yesterday, Councilor Alvin Arcilla relayed to the legislative body that the tire of his City-issued vehicle exploded last Dec. 23 when it was installed just a month back.

That time, he was going back to the city from his visit to the mountain barangay of Binaliw.

In Dec. 29, Arcilla said another tire bursts while he was in Barangay Mabolo. The tire was in use just only three weeks.

“Because of this, we want to be enlightened with the current condition and quality of existing stocks of tires and other automotive parts and appurtenance,s which are in the City’s possession or control under the GSO,” said Arcilla in his one-page resolution.

Since the City does not have the technical expertise to conduct comprehensive inspection on its supplies of tires, Arcilla wants DTI’s intervention.

In a corollary motion on Arcilla’s resolution, Councilor Noel Wenceslao wants COA to also investigate the matter, saying it might be disadvantageous to the City.

“We want them to conduct an audit on the items delivered,” he said.

Just like Arcilla, Wenceslao said the tires of his City-issued vehicle also exploded sometime in December.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, for his part, expressed support on Arcilla’s resolution and Wenceslao’s motion, saying that he, too, has experienced the same.

“Kung sa DVD pa, ang ilang gitaud pirated (As with DVD, the one they installed is pirated),” he said.

Asked about the matter, GSO chief Engr. Rolando Ardosa said the allegations that the tires they purchased are surplus is not true.

“Di na man ta mamalit ug surplus. Puros man na bag-o atong mga ligid (We don’t buy surplus. Our wheels are all brand new),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

“Nibuto siguro na kay nasubraan sa hangin, overload or kana bang natunok. Aside from that, basin nipis na kayo ang ligid (Maybe it exploded because of excess air,
overloaded or was perhaps pierced. Or maybe it has thinned out),” he added.

Ardosa welcomed the investigation though, saying that there is no irregularity on the City’s purchase of tires, which is covered under the P5.2-billion budget of the City in 2012.