THE Cebu Provincial Legal Office filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas yesterday criminal and administrative complaints against Cebu City traffic officials for towing its trailer truck.
In an affidavit executed by Provincial Administrator Eduardo Habin, the Provincial Government also asked for the preventive suspension of Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) officials.
Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla, in an interview yesterday, said they filed the complaint against Citom executive officer Arnel Tancinco, a certain Calambria, R.M., other Citom officers involved and officers and employees of the towing company hired by Citom.
Habin accused the respondents of theft and of violating anti-graft laws for the loss and the towing of the trailer truck owned by the Capitol, last May 20 near Fuente Osmeña.
The Provincial Government reiterated the trailer was not disrupting traffic on Mariano Cui St., Cebu City contrary to the claims of Citom enforcers.
The yellow and black flatbed trailer was used to close the Mariano Cui exit of the old Larsian access road, which the Provincial Government owns, and it has been there since 2007.
Earlier, Tancinco said they didn’t know the trailer was owned by the Capitol and said it was towed since it was parked near a “no stopping anytime” sign.
Tancinco said his men found out the trailer was not only abandoned, but also lacked a chassis number and registration papers.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier denied the allegation he ordered the towing, to get back at the Province for intercepting eight Cebu City-owned Kaoshiung buses in the town of Barili during the campaign season.
The Kaoshiung buses carrying street children were caught plying the southern part of Cebu without plate numbers and registration papers last month. The police intercepted the buses.
Capitol, in its complaint, accused the respondents of theft and violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as “The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”
The law states it is a violation to cause “any injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference, in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”
They accused the respondents of “illegally conspiring and confederating with each other in taking away the trailer truck of the Province of Cebu without its consent.” (RRF)