The Mandaue City Legal Office is recommending legal action against several officials and former personnel of the previous administration over the purchase of two ambulances worth around P6 million that allegedly arrived without the required Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (OR/CR).
City Legal Officer Atty. Erwin Rommel Heyrosa said the recommendation followed an investigation ordered by Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano through a Feb. 20, 2026 memorandum.
The memorandum directed the City Legal Office to determine who may be held responsible for the purchase and delivery of the two ambulances, which were procured in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and delivered in 2021.
Heyrosa said the ambulances allegedly arrived without the necessary OR/CR, preventing the city from using the vehicles for health services. He said the units have remained unused for about six years and are now in rusty condition.
The investigation also found that the winning bidder was allegedly not the registered owner of the vehicles. Despite this, the city had already fully paid for the units, according to Heyrosa.
The City Legal Office is recommending appropriate action against officials and personnel who may have been involved in accepting the ambulances despite the alleged deficiencies in their documents.
Among those identified was Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, who was serving as acting mayor when the payment was made and who issued the check for the transaction.
Heyrosa also said personnel from the City Treasurer’s Office and Department of General Services may face liability for allegedly accepting the vehicles without sufficiently determining whether the delivery complied with the requirements.
The City Legal Office is also preparing a civil action against the winning bidder and is seeking restitution of the amount paid by the city.
Under the proposed arrangement, the ambulances would be returned to the bidder while the city would seek reimbursement of the approximately P6 million it paid for the units.
For officials and personnel who may have been involved in the transaction, Heyrosa said the office is recommending appropriate legal action, including the possibility of elevating the matter to the Office of the Ombudsman for criminal proceedings.
He said the preliminary investigation report will be submitted to Ouano, who will determine whether formal charges should be pursued against the personalities identified in the report.
Heyrosa added that the City Legal Office continues to examine the roles of other former officials who may have been involved in the transaction.
Bercede’s side
Bercede, meanwhile, said the matter had not yet reached his office when he was asked for comment.
He said his role as acting mayor in the transaction was primarily ministerial because he was presented with documents and checks for his signature.
Bercede said he assumed that documents reaching his office had already undergone the required review and approval processes.
He said documents normally passed through offices such as the City Legal Office, while transactions involving funding could also undergo review by the City Council.
Bercede said he was unaware of the registration problems involving the ambulances.
He also stressed that he was not involved in negotiations for the purchase, saying he only signed the documents in his capacity as acting local chief executive.
Bercede said he was prepared to face any legal action that may be filed against him and would seek assistance from his counsel.
He added that signing checks and payment documents formed part of his duties as acting mayor, particularly when the documents presented to him appeared complete and had already gone through the appropriate offices.
Photoo courtesy of Mandaue / FB
Comments