The misuse of city government vehicles can’t be avoided because these were issued directly to barangay captains instead of the barangay.
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said this in response to reports that barangay Mabini captain Rey Oybenes used the Toyota Hilux vehicle issued to him to dump her body after killing her last Thursday.
Young said several reports reached his attention that such vehicles were being used for personal trips of the family of barangay officials.
Oybenes’s brand new Toyota Hilux had no marking as a government car. The red plate was removed and placed in side the truck when it was found.
“But let the executive handle it. Dili pwede nga ang council mag apil apil (The council cannot be involved). Let the executive do it and we will see what happens. It is incumbent upon him (Mayor Michael Rama) to do something about it (abuse of city hall issued vehicles),” he said.
Mayor Rama said the Government Services Office (GSO) will look into the matter.
He said he is using a red license plate and city government stickers on his ownservice vehicle.
“Nobody should be above than the mayor,” he said.
Oybenes was among the first batch of recipients of new City Hall issued pickup trucks worth over P1 million during Rama’s first term.
Engr. Rolando Ardosa, GSO chief, said the vehicle used by Oybenes is now under the Cebu City Police Office’s custody.
When the GSO recovers it, they will reinstall its red plate number, clean the blood stains, fix the broken windows and provide appropriate government markings.
He said they will reassign it to a new barangay captain. Ardosa said the incident involving Oybenes was an “isolated” case and his office is reminding local officials to use the red plate and government stickers to avoid misuse of these vehicles.
Ardosa said non-use of government plates and stickers could be grounds for the recall of the vehicles. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac