Asean lampposts to be removed

The controversial lampposts used during the 2007 Asean Summit will no longer be an “eyesore” on Cebu City streets after the Office of the Special Prosecutor authorized its removal.

Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit said the lampposts could be removed and stored in a secured and sheltered facility “to ensure their availability for viewing, if and when the same will be required.”

The 677 lampposts installed along S. Osmeña Road, Juan Luna Avenue, Salinas Drive and Veteran’s Drive is now subject of an ongoing criminal case against Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.

Citom head Rafael Yap said that he would schedule the removal of the lampposts to start on April 23.

“Ug ila nang ipa gamit nato, ato na e-decorate sa senior citizens park (which we will set up across the city hall executive building),” said mayor Michael Rama.

An option, Rama said, is to use the lampposts as poles for cascading plants, which he wanted installed to decorate the sidewalks.

Yap and officials from the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit in Central Visayas earlier conducted an inventory to account for the Asean summit lampposts installed in Cebu City.

A copy of their joint inventory report was furnished to the Office of the Special Prosecutor with a request for its endorsement to the Sandigan Bayan, which is handling the Asean summit lamp posts cases.

Sulit told Yap in a letter dated March 2, 2012, that the motion for reconsideration on the criminal case against DPWH officials led by former regional director Roberto Lala is still under review.

But since the lamp posts are not covered by any confiscation or forfeiture proceeding, he does not see any “impediment” in having the lamp posts removed especially since these are already becoming an eyesore.

All that he asked was for the city government to furnish their office with their report on the inventory of the Asean Summit lampposts.

Sulit wanted to see photographs and a list of persons who participated in the inventory of the lamp posts.

Also, he asked that the removal of the lampposts be documented on video and that their office be furnished with such.