CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, raised new allegations regarding the purchase of three vehicles worth P6 million, following former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s demand for an apology over previous procurement-related accusations.
Garcia, during a press conference earlier that day, had denounced as “fake news” the earlier claims made by Osmeña and Mayor Nestor Archival that his administration procured overpriced T-shirts and a luxury electric vehicle. Garcia warned of possible legal action and said the allegations were politically motivated.
Instead of issuing an apology, Osmeña posted on Facebook questioning Garcia’s role in the January 2025 purchase of three 12-seater Nissan Urvan vehicles, reportedly priced at P2 million each.
“In what world can he justify paying P2M for a basic, manual transmission Urvan when the real price is far lower for a private person buying directly from the dealer? Is this a responsible use of taxpayer money?” Osmeña wrote.
He included an image of a purchase order dated Jan. 2, 2025, which listed RDAK Transport Equipment Inc. as the supplier. The document showed the vans were intended for the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and bore Garcia’s signature.
To support his claim of overpricing, Osmeña also posted a screenshot from the official Nissan website showing the retail price of a similar vehicle at P1.5 million.
However, the post did not clarify whether the government procurement price included additional features, accessories, delivery, taxes, or local government unitGU-specific compliance costs. As of press time, there was no confirmation from the General Services Office or the bids and awards committee on the full specifications of the purchased units.
SunStar sought Garcia’s comment on the latest allegation, but text messages and phone calls remained unanswered as of press time.
Garcia earlier maintained that all purchases under his administration followed procurement protocols and were supported by documentation. He accused critics of weaponizing incomplete information and said his administration had been recognized for generating P5.986 billion in local revenue. / EHP