Village execs: Vehicle used on ‘official business’

OFFICIALS of Barangay Babag, Cebu City reiterated yesterday that a service vehicle issued to them wasn’t used for personal and family affairs.

They issued the clarification after photos of the Toyota Hilux service vehicle with its windshield bearing the label “Babag” were posted on Facebook.

“Just wanted to share to you this pic we got… Some government official caught in the act using a government owned vehicle for personal (family) use,” read a caption on the photo that was shared in the Facebook page Cebu Flash Report.

The photo showed the service vehicle parked along the road in a mountain barangay.

A kid sat on top of the vehicle whose door was opened. Some people were also seen sitting on chairs beside the vehicle.

Based on records from Cebu City Hall’s Department of General Services (DGS), the memorandum receipt for the vehicle was named under Babag barangay chairman Cesar Dolorito.

Sought for comment, Dolorito said he assigned the vehicle to barangay councilman Reynante Bacarisas. He said someone informed him about the Facebook post.

Dolorito confirmed that the incident in the picture took place last Sunday.

“I asked Councilor Bacarisas to get the culvert at Ayala Heights since we need the culvert for a drainage project in one of our sitios,” Dolorito said.
He said Bacarisas told him that he saw someone taking photos and videos of them during their visit to Ayala.

But the councilman did not mind since he knew he was on official business.

However, they admitted that there were some other people who rode with the councilman in going to Ayala Heights that is located 300 meters from the boundary of Barangay Babag.

“I hope people don’t just post photos on Facebook without even trying to talk to the barangay official. They should have asked so that they would know that it was an official errand. Sometimes, people just post and post maliciously and they don’t even know the story,” Dolorito said in Cebuano.

Bacarisas said he was angry over the Facebook post. He said his son and two nephews rode with him when he went to Ayala Heights.

“I don’t like what happened. It can ruin a person’s reputation. I just hope that nosy people will ask first before assuming,” he said.

Cebu Daily News tried to call Ma. Corazon Naraja, spokesperson of the Ombudsman-Visayas, but calls were not returned as of yesterday afternoon.