Judge to accept vehicle from CH

CEBU - Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Olegario Sarmiento, Jr. will accept the vehicle to be provided by the Cebu City Hall for Family Court judges.

In an interview yesterday, Sarmiento said that the vehicle will be shared by two of his colleagues, RTC Branch 14 Judge Raphael Yrastorza and RTC Branch 22 Judge Manuel Patalinghug who will be using the car for their trips to the Cebu City Operation Second Chance.

The three judges visit the jail facility in the mountain barangay of Kalunasan almost every day to hear the cases of the minor offenders detained there.

Sarmiento said the need for a vehicle was brought up during the recent meeting with the CCOSC management board.

He said that the Cebu City government has already promised them vehicles, but it was only this year that such was released.

Members of the management board will be very busy soon once the CCOSC will be converted into a youth home in compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo earlier said that he will discuss with Mayor Tomas Osmeña the plan to give vehicles to all RTC Cebu City judges, which will be on top of the P5,000 monthly cash allowance each receives.

Osmeña first announced of the plan to provide vehicles for judges last week, following reports that Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia had withdrawn Capitol’s cash incentives for a judge who ruled in favor of the city mayor in a case involving him and the Province.

Osmeña, who is in the United States for urinary bladder cancer treatment, is expected to be back here on Friday. – Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)