Customs to donate 10 smuggled SUVs to city gov't.

A total of 10 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) will soon be donated to the Special Weapons and Tactics team and the Mobile Patrol Division of the Cebu City Police Office.

This was relayed yesterday by Cebu City councilor Sylvan Jakosalem who is the co-chairman of the committee on police, fire and penology at the city council.

Jakosalem together with some officials of RDAK had a test drive of SUVs donated by the Bureau of Customs during the term of then collector Lourdes Mangaoang.

He said Cebu Customs collector Ricardo Belmonte will formally turn over the SUVs next week together with Finance Secretary Gary Teves to officials of the Cebu City government.

Jakosalem added that the smuggled vehicles were donated to the city with the assurance that the City Hall will shoulder expenses for their conversion to left-hand drive and for the reconditioning. The city has allocated P1.2 million for the said purpose.

"Dako kaayo ta og na-save ani nga money, these SUVs will cost us unta sobra P500,000 pero the Bureau of Customs donated it unya ang city na ang nigasto sa pag-recondition ani with the budget of P120,000 for each vehicle," Jakosalem emphasized.

The two vans, Mitsubishi Delica and Space Gear, will be used by SWAT personnel while eight other SUVs, mostly Nissan Terranos and Surfs, will be used by the Mobile Patrol Division in augmentation of the Toyota Innovas.

"This time, dili na mag-tu'd tu'd ang mga SWAT personnel sa ilang vehicles," Jakosalem said. Earlier, members of the SWAT team complained about service vehicles with mechanical problems. - Ramil V. Ayuman/MEEV