Gov’t-owned van figures in dawn road mishap

An engineer assigned at the Cebu City Engineering Office has a lot of explaining to do after the government-issued vehicle he drove figured in an accident in barangay Lahug, Cebu City, at dawn yesterday.

Joel Reston said he came from “roving” activities when the accident occurred.

Reston drove a white Mitsubishi van with his wife as passenger. The van bears the official seal of Cebu City.

Reston was driving home to Nivel Hills when the van was hit by a truck owned by a catering service.

“Good thing no one was injured in the accident,” said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

Mayor Rama said Reston should explain why he used the vehicle beyond working hours.

“City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete will have to look into the circumstances of the accident. We have to know if he was indeed responding to something official,” the mayor said.

Engineer Nadine June Sison, head of the construction division of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), said she would look into Reston’s trip ticket to find out if the travel was authorized.

Asked about City Hall’s guidelines on the use of government vehicles, Mayor Rama said officials who are issued vehicles exercise a “judgment call” in using them.

Rama said some officials are allowed to bring the vehicle home for practical reasons.

He said some city officials or employees have field work early in the morning or late at night.

“We allow them to bring home their vehicles so that this will be available for their immediate use in case of emergency,” he said.

However, Rama said it is another thing when use of a government vehicle is “abused.”

Rama said what happened to Reston should serve as lesson to other city hall officials and employees to prevent “serious things” from happening.