Mike wants update on Dodge case vs Tomas

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama wants update on the complaint he filed against Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña for using two US-made Dodge Charger vehicles that were supposedly donated to the city government.

Rama wrote to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Jan. 22 this year but as of yesterday, he has not received any reply from the anti-graft office.

“As mayor of Cebu City, I am respectfully requesting and would appreciate an update from your good office as to the actions taken on subject letter complaint that I may similarly inform my interested constituency,” he said in his letter.

Rama pointed out that four months have lapsed since he filed a formal complaint against Osmeña before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas but there was no progress in the investigation.

Rama said the two Dodge Charger vehicles were used as police security vehicles during Osmeña’s incumbency as mayor after these were donated to the city by Michael Gleissner, owner of Bigfoot Global Solutions.

But Osmeña yesterday said Rama should prove that the cars are owned by the city.

“He is the mayor, he should produce the deed of donation and the City Council resolution accepting the deed of donation,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña explained that Rama cannot produce the documents because Bigfoot decided not to donate it to the city after knowing that his term as mayor would end in the middle of 2010.

When Osmeña returned to Cebu after he underwent a surgery in Houston, Texas in 2009, he was surprised to see the two brand new US-made vehicles already painted “Cebu City Police”.

Then Cebu City spokesman Nagiel Banacia said Gliessner had planned to donate the two vehicles to the city for the use of the policemen assigned at the South Road Properties (SRP) where Bigfoot is leasing two hectares of land.

But after Gleissner decided not to pursue his plan, Osmeña’s sister, Minnie, bought the vehicles.

Since Minnie is out of the country most of the time, the cars were left under his care.

Bigfoot has been allowed by the city to lease two hectares of lot for only about P26 per square meter as one way to encourage other investors to put up their business at the 295 hectares of SRP lots.

Bigfoot had made advance rentals of P28 million for five years.

At a monthly lease rate of $40 centavos or P26 per square meter, the city earns about P400,000 a month or nearly P5 million a year for the two hectares.  (FREEMAN)