Sale of impounded vehicles approved

CEBU, Philippines - The committee on laws of the Cebu City Council yesterday approved the proposal to sell the unclaimed apprehended vehicles now being impounded at the North Reclamation Area.

But Councilor Edgardo Labella, chair of the committee that reviewed the proposal of Councilor Raul Alcoseba, said the owners of the impounded vehicles should be given the chance to speak during a public hearing on the proposed auction sale on June 10.

Alcoseba, chairman of the council committee on traffic management, recommended the auction of those unclaimed impounded vehicles.

Hundreds of vehicles have been impounded at the North Reclamation Area with many of them are now deteriorating since the city’s impounding area has no roof.

Some owners of the impounded vehicles owners could no longer afford to pay the impounding fee.

“Ang akong motor nadakpan mga hapit na upat ka tuig kay wa ma-renew ang rehistro. Wala dayon nako malukat pero karon daku na kaayo ang bayranan kay tag P50 kuno ang impounding fee kada adlaw,” said an engineer from barangay Basak-San Nicolas.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña approved the disposal of the impounded vehicles. But it should be made through public bidding to be conducted by the Bids and Awards Committee of the City Hall.

The state audit procedures allow impounded vehicles to be disposed of through public auction if the owners failed to recover them for six months.

Many of the impounded vehicles could not be released to their owners for lack of registration documents. — Rene U. Borromeo/LPM (THE FREEMAN)