‘Lost’ lamppost at Citom office

The lamppost that went missing after being installed in front of a bank building beside the regional police office was actually stored for safe-keeping following a vehicular accident two weeks ago.

Senior Supt. Melvin Buenafe, Cebu City police chief, said the P10,000 lamppost bought by the Beautiful Cebu Movement was kept at the engineering office of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

“With all due respect, I think the report (on the loss of the lamppost) was not accurate.  In fact, I will be sending a policeman to Citom office today to secure the lamppost to dispel reports that it was stolen,” he said.

Officials of the Beautiful Cebu Movement led by its foundation chairperson Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung inspected Osmeña Boulevard last Saturday morning and were disappointed about the loss of the lamppost, one of several damaged.

The lamppost in question was installed in front of the Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI) beside the police regional office.

Two other nearby lampposts have broken glass casings while portions of the newly paved sidewalk had cracks.

Capitol Site barangay captain Manuel Guanzon also reported that at least six lampposts located in his barangay were vandalized and lost the metal covering  protecting the bulbs.

Citom chief Rafael Yap said that the lamppost in front of BPI was damaged after a vehicle crashed into it two weeks ago and it’s kept in their engineering office for evidence purposes.

Yap said the driver who hit the lamppost was advised to pay its cost with the Beautiful Cebu Movement prior to the release of his license.

Buenafe said the group should have coordinated with the police before making an announcement.

“It will be unfair for the (nearby Fuente) police station and PRO 7 to say that the lamppost was stolen,” he said.

Joje Decal, president of the Beautiful Cebu Movement, said they already directed their contractor to check on their lamppost.

They wanted to verify whether it was the same lamppost that got damaged in a vehicular accident two weeks ago.

What the group knew, Decal said, is that the lamppost is located in front of the Police Regional Office and not in front of BPI, which is located one property away.

“We weren’t told by the Citom that they took it,” she said.

Decal said the man who hit their lamppost already paid P10,000 for the cost of the damaged lamppost.

“Though the value is much higher because we also paid a contractor for its installation,” she said.

She said they didn’t charge the man for labor out of pity.

Decal said the man told them that he was headed to a hospital to undergo chemotherapy when he accidentally hit the lamppost.

The Beautiful Cebu movement was tasked by the Cebu City government to help beautify Fuente Osmeña and downtown Cebu City as part of restoration efforts to on the city’s landmark locations.

Yeung appealed for the police and barangay officials to help secure the lampposts, saying the damaged and vandalized lampposts have set back their work schedule.

She said they wanted to complete the restoration work in time for the thanksgiving mass for  Pedro Calungsod in Nov. 21.

The national event is expected to bring thousands of pilgrims and visitors to Cebu City.

Each imported lamppost from China cost P10,000.

About 175 were installed along Osmeña Boulevard from the Provincial Capitol to Sanciangko Street paid for with funds raised from private sector donations, including a P1 million donation from Yeung.

Sidewalks were remodeled with red brick trim and repair plant boxes while the decorative posts with wrought iron street lamps were installed to evoke the Spanish era heritage of Cebu.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the police should help prevent these lampposts from being vandalized. Edison A. Delos Angeles, Correspondent with a story from Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac