Yt Framework

Mayor Lobregat belies the allegations

Four of the more than fifty JAC pick-up vehicles initially purchased by the city government from Davao City for the the 90 barangays in Zamboanga City have reportedly been grounded for repair.

But Mayor Celso Lobregat belied the allegations, stressing that it is a part of the contract and that the vehicles were driven from Davao City.

“Parte se del contrata...tan break in pa se kay brand new se (it is part of the contract...it is undergoing break in procedure because it's brand new),” he said in Chavacano vernacular.

Earlier reports disclosed that the four JAC pick-up vehicles landed at the Servitek Center in Barangay Tetuan undergoing repair.

A Servitek worker who declined to be identified backed the mayor's statement. He denied that the vehicles were out of order.

According to the Servitek worker in Chavacano dialect, “Actualmente, sir kame el service center del JAC aki na Zamboanga City...na Davao kel ya sale poreso kame ta mira conese maga vehiculo...ay man inspect y man vacuum kame conese antes de man turn over alla canila...no puede kame man kuento porcausa de ese sir."

The four brand new China-made pick-up vehicles are part of the 90 units the city government purchased to be distributed to the barangays in both districts.

Lobregat already distributed almost 60 of these pick-ups to the different barangay chairmen in Districts 1 and 2 in turn over ceremonies mostly held at City Hall ground.

The names of the barangays printed on the four JAC vehicles found at the back of the Servitek Center compound are Salaan, Canelar, Quiniput and Kawit.

It is still unclear whether the said vehicles have already been turned over to the concerned barangays.

The mayor also chided some members of the media for making lies of the real amount of the vehicles.

Referring to broadcasters Gil Climaco and Jimmy Villaflores who in their program "Straight to the Point over RMN quoted the amount of the vehicles found in the internet at P700,000 per vehicle.

The mayor said the city government paid more than P900,000 each of the vehicle.

Lobregat said: “Ta ase ya tamen sila liyus el kumprada del vehiculo." He asked: "Where in this world can you find a brand new pick up at P700,000? Mitsubishi and Toyota pick ups are sold more than P1 million each."

"Tiene pa gane el ciudad ganancia na cumprada de ese maga pick ups,” he further said.

The chief executive branded the reports as lies because the purchase of the JAC vehicles are all in order.

By Nonong Santiago