ON 15 VEHICLES FOR SK: ‘It’s not midnight action, it’s streamlining’

Mandaue City Administrator, Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, defended the current administration’s move—tagged as a "midnight action" by the incoming administration—involving the donation of 15 vehicles to Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, saying the City is merely streamlining the process.

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Calipayan said the vehicles are already in the possession of the prospective donees, and what the city government is doing now is simply streamlining the process. He explained that if there is a need for repairs or any action to be taken, the recipients will no longer need to seek the city’s permission, as the vehicles are already under their care.

Calipayan assured that there is nothing to worry about, as long as the vehicles are not used or abused for private purposes.

“It will still fulfill its function as originally intended by the City nga mu serve sa constituency sa atoang gipagamit,” said Calipayan.

Calipayan said that, in the case of the SK, the vehicles will be used for youth activities, sports development, and other SK programs.

He clarified that since the SK officials already have the vehicles since last year, the City's current move is simply a way of formalizing the arrangement.

This issue arose after the transition team of Mayor-elect Thadeo Jovito ‘Jonkie’ Ouano raised concerns over what it described as a "midnight action" by the outgoing administration, referring to the proposed donation of vehicles to 15 SK chairpersons in Mandaue City.

Atty. Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on, who heads Ouano’s transition team, previously said that the outgoing administration is pushing the donation just weeks before the end of their term on June 30.