City councilor wants explanation: 2 donated firetrucks missing?

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella wants the Bureau of Fire Protection to explain the whereabouts of the two donated firetrucks from Japan why he did not see them anymore.

Labella, in a resolution, asked the BFP officials to enlighten the members of the city council on the whereabouts of these firetrucks.

According to Labella, he did not see these fire trucks responded in the recent fires that hit the city.

Labella said he remember personally traveling to Ishida, Iki Island in Nagasaki, Japan in June 2000 to receive the donation. The two units, Labella said, are considered brand new because these were never used as there never was a fire that occurred in Ishida town over the years.

He recalled that one of the firetrucks, when turned over to the BFP, was fully equipped with a 200-feet aerial ladder, a bucket with platform and water cannon, while the other was a truck with a huge water tank.

“The said donated firetrucks were no longer seen during the recent fires that broke out in Cebu City for the last few months,” Labella said.

Cebu City fire marshall Esmael Codilla was not available for comment when The FREEMAN called him yesterday.

On the other hand, South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña is not keen on giving the city fire department additional firetrucks because the BFP has the tendency of giving these to other local government units in the province that does not have firetrucks.

It was learned that several municipalities in Cebu province still do not have their own firetrucks and they are just dependent on the fire fighters from the adjacent towns and cities.   (FREEMAN NEWS)