Public use

The recent findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding the misuse of government vehicles by Cebu City officials provoked not a few responses notably from Councilor Michael Ralota.

As president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), Ralota knows only too well how barangay captains allow the use of multicabs, dump trucks and jeepneys for local events like fiestas, weddings and even beach outings.

Ralota complained that use of these vehicles even during such occasions fall within the purview of public service and as such cannot be quantified as “under personal use.”  If this was the case, Ralota said guidelines should be drawn up between barangay officials and COA to govern the conduct of vehicle use.

The COA findings come on the heels of a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) directive banning the use of open-face government vehicles in the wake of the Barili town accident that claimed the lives of 10 people and injured several others.

The dump truck was used to transport people attending a funeral vigil and the driver, a job-order employee, is facing charges as a result of the incident. If one were to be strict about it, government vehicles should only be used for the purpose in which they were intended for i.e, dump trucks for construction, multicabs for transporting government workers etc.

But public service is such an all-encompassing term among local officials who think nothing of using government vehicles for fiestas and weddings to demonstrate their commitment to their constituents.

One cannot blame the constituents, most of whom are indigents who barely survive on a day-to- day basis, for asking their officials for help.  As far as the DILG directive is concerned, it’s all about safety; for COA, it’s about using these vehicles for seminars and outings that doesn’t benefit the public.

Following Ralota’s rationale, it may be cheaper to use government vehicles to transport workers during seminars and outreach programs which are all fine. But not for beach outings and parties, which, he argued, is a form of bonding or team-building activity.

Surely Ralota and his fellow officials can think of cheaper ways to hold their team-building activities without having to spend for fuel, which by the way is now being regulated by City Hall.

Would drafting new guidelines help? We doubt it, but if that means ensuring that these vehicles are kept in good condition for more important purposes that fit the norm of “public service,” then by all means, let them do it.