Inspection of ASEAN lampposts kicks off

CEBU, Philippines - The City Traffic Operations Management, the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas have started the three-day inspection and inventory of the decorative lampposts used during the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nation Summit in 2007, that Mayor Michael Rama wants removed from the streets.

The inspection was led by Engr. Allan Gajudo of the Technical Services Group of COA and Engr. Rol Plazo of the Office of the Ombudsman.

They started the inspection around 9 a.m. along Sergio Osmeña Blvd. and ended around 4 p.m. The group took pictures of the lampposts and noted the condition of each, including what components are left.

The group inspected only the lampposts along S. Osmeña Blvd. Tomorrow they will start from the Marco Polo Plaza down to Salinas Drive.

CITOM executive director Rafael Yap said there were 136 lampposts recorded along S. Osmeña Blvd., four are missing and believed to have been stolen.

Yap said that inspection will run for three days but they might finish early.

After the inspection, they will draft the report which will be ready within two weeks.

The joint report will be submitted to the Sandiganbayan from whom the city government asked permission to remove the lampposts despite its pending litigation.

“In our part, we will do what they required from us, then it is up to the Sandiganbayan to grant our request or not,” Yap said.

The court told them to conduct an inspection and inventory of the lampposts because each lamppost is evidence to the pending case against some Department of Public Works and Highways and some local government officials accused of graft.

Yap said they hope to remove the lampposts completely by the end of the year. — /BRP - (THE FREEMAN)