Ex-gwen police escorts return guns
A FORMER staff member of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia returned close to two dozen firearms and other valuables worth P1.24 million to the provincial government last week.
Eva Encabo, Provincial General Services Office chief, said policemen who were issued the firearms came to her office last Thursday to turn over 10 .9mm Glock pistols.
She said the former staff member named Edwin Mixdon has yet to account for the remaining 11 pistols, radio equipment and a motorcycle issued seven years ago.
They were used by Garcia’s security personnel under the provincial government’s Civil Security Unit.
Mixdon promised to Encabo that he will return all the valuables two weeks ago.
The PGSO found out about the missing items in its inventory of the province’s properties during the transition phase for the assumption of Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos
Agencies under mayor’s office to be assessed
A PERFORMANCE review of the 60 special bodies and commissions under the mayor’s office will be submitted to Mayor Michael Rama before this week ends.
Belinda Navascues, secretary to the mayor, said Rama signed the appointment of members of only 16 commissions and special bodies pending their review of 44 others.
“All of our commissions and special bodies are all functioning and we are looking into streamlining these since they are so many,” she said. Rama issued these appointments before he left for Japan last week.
Appointed were members of the City Tourism Commission, City Scholarship Committee, Senior Citizens Council and City Office for Substance Abuse and Prevention (Cosap) among others.
Former tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo is still chairman of the Tourism Commission while Ester Concha, chief of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) will continue to chair the scholarship committee.
Councilor and Team Rama ally James Cuenco replaces Councilor Margot Osmeña in the tourism council after assuming as the City Council’s committee chairman.
Navascues said the mayor’s team is reviewing the 44 other commissions and special bodies. They will submit a report to Rama when he reports back to work this week.
She said the executive department may later submit a request to the City Council to dissolve some special bodies or commissions since they were created through ordinances.
Navascues said Rama wanted a secretariat created to oversee the composition and functions of the different commissions and special bodies and to continually evaluate them.
But the secretariat office will consist of existing personnel under the mayor’s office and will hold office in a corner of the office of the mayor in order to save on operational costs, she said. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac