THE 16 government-owned digital handheld radio units, previously used by former Cebu City Hall employees, remain unreturned. Outgoing Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia indicates that full recovery efforts may fall to the incoming administration.
In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Garcia admitted he has no concrete update on whether the radios have been returned.
“Wala pa koy update ana, so I cannot give you a comment on that kung nauli ba or wala pa,” he said (I have no update on that, so I cannot give you a comment on whether they have been returned or not), citing the Department of General Services (DGS), which is in charge of city possessions, as the primary source of information.
“Murag wala pa gyud sila kahatag nako og definite answer or report kung nauli na ba tong mga radios,” Garcia added. (It seems they still haven’t given me a definite answer or report if those radios have been returned.)
The mayor also revealed he is waiting for a recommendation from the City Legal Office (CLO) but anticipates the issue will extend beyond his term.
“When I get back, I will ask them and then maabtan na man ko ana kay one week na lang man. I will leave that to the next administration on what to do with that,” he stated. (When I get back, I will ask them, and then I’ll be overtaken by that because there’s only one week left. I will leave that to the next administration on what to do with that.)
However, Garcia affirmed his recommendation for the new leadership: “Of course, my recommendation will be to pursue all remedies in recovering the assets of the City Government.”
This issue resurfaced from a previous SunStar report where City Administrator Kristine Joy Batucan, on April 21, sent a letter to 16 former employees, demanding the surrender of the digital radios to the DGS within 72 hours and threatening legal action for non-compliance.
Garcia, at that time, confirmed that the City had identified the individuals possessing the government radios through equipment acknowledgment receipts. He had warned that if the units were not returned, the matter would be forwarded to the CLO.
Garcia noted he became aware of the issue through news reports and later received information about the radios’ alleged use during a political campaign, which he stressed was an improper use of government property, especially by individuals no longer connected to the government.
Batucan had also requested Hello Marketing Inc., the supplier of the radios, to immediately deactivate the units, citing their unauthorized use. The digital radios were originally purchased in 2020 during the administration of the late mayor Edgardo Labella for official disaster response and public safety communication.
Upon Labella’s death in 2021, the assets were assumed by then-vice Mayor Michael Rama, who took over as mayor. According to Disaster Office head Ramil Ayuman, the inventory and turnover of these digital radio units were not properly monitored during the change in administration in October 2024, following Rama’s dismissal.
The 16 identified individuals possessing the digital radio units, along with their corresponding serial numbers, are Elmer Mandanat, Noel Saciedo, Generous Flores Gonzales, Phillip John Singson, Angelo Zambo, Christ Mark Garma, Winston Nogra, Roger Luna, Archie Dereche, Mark Anthony Sayaboc, Dinnes Napoles, Emilio Acquizar, Kevin Sanchez, Roland Parawan, Jesena Teresita, and Guy Unabia. Most of them were reportedly affiliated with the previous Rama administration.
As of Wednesday, Garcia had yet to receive any report confirming the return of any of the radios. / JPS