ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan recently revealed that some recipients of the alleged authorized donations of vehicles made by former mayor Francis Nepomuceno are now returning the properties.
Pamintuan said that three village chiefs would not wait for the court’s decision, especially that Nepomoceno’s camp has filed a motion for reconsideration at the Court of Appeals to dismiss the petition for a temporary restraining order, which has stopped further donations of City Hall properties.
"In fact, some have returned the vehicles without court action. One barangay captain actually received it and delivered it to City Hall, and that is Barangay Captain Carlos. Then we have two, returned by Sto. Rosario Barangay Captain Agapito del Rosario," Pamintuan told Sun.Star Pampanga.
He added that the head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office has similarly returned the vehicle donated to the office.
Cabigting and her camp earlier filed the temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Nepomuceno administration from further donating vehicles and other properties owned by the City Government to various sectors and offices here.
The petition was filed against Nepomuceno, then city councilors Ricardo Zalamea, Ares Yabut, Rodolfo Simeon, Agapito Del Rosario, Robin Nepomuceno, and re-elected councilors, Carl John Miranda, Danilo Lacson, and Arvin Suller.
The instant petition, under CA-G.R. SP No. 114212 was dismissed by the Special 14th Division of the Court of Appeals as ordered by Associate Justice Antonio Villamor, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Jose Reyes Jr., and Alihu Ybanez. The order was promulgated on June 18 this year.
Pamintuan, however, assured that the properties of the City Government would be returned.
"We will get them back because those [properties] belong to the people of Angeles City," he concluded. (Jovi T. De Leon)