Did all 80 barangays really get a service vehicle from the Cebu city government purchase in 2012?
Sto. Niño barangay captain Pancho Ramirez, who is not an ally of the mayor, said he’s not one of the beneficiaries.
“I just want to clarify that we did not receive a car from Cebu City,” Ramirez, told Cebu Daily News.
“I may be accused of being a thief if someone looks for that car and asks me,” said Ramirez, who belongs to the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK),
The City Council on Wednesday formed a committee to review how the P80 million budget allocated for barangay vehicles was used, amid reports that some barangay captains didn’t get any.
Councilor Margot Osmeña, chairman of the City Council budget committee, earlier said all of the city’s 80 barangays were given brand new vehicles out of the 2012 allocation of P1 million per barangay.
She said that while barangay captains requested for brand new cars there were better ways to prioritize city funds.
General Services Office (GSO) chief Dionisio Gualiza told the City Council that some vehicles were issued memorandum receipts assigning the vehicles to barangay councilmen allied with Mayor Michael Rama, instead of the barangay captain.
He said the mayor exercised his prerogative in deciding who would use the vehicles.
Pahina San Nicolas barangay captain Antonio Caruzca had asked for the purchase of a Toyota Hi-Lux vehicle for their peace and order program. Caruzca, a BO-PK ally, won in the 2013 barangay election.
The vehicle, however, was assigned to former councilman John Paul Go.
When Go’s term ended last year, the vehicle was assigned to Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, who was shocked to learn of its origin.
“I am as surprised as the Council to find this out. I received something that I did not know where it came from,” said delos Santos.
She said she would return the service vehicle to the GSO if she is given another one.
“I deserve one,” delos Santos told the City Council.
Technical malversation
Councilor Gerardo Carillo warned Gualiza that assigning vehicles to individuals other than their intended users could be a ground for technical malversation since the budget’s purpose was clearly for the barangays.
Councilor Delos Santos, an ally of the mayor, said the GSO head was just following the mayor’s orders and that the intended purpose of the budget to purchase a vehicle was fulfilled.
“My only warning to Engr. Gualiza is that if you continue doing so, you might be courting trouble,” Carillo retorted.
Gualiza was ordered to give a list of all city vehicles, including ambulances, and who were using them.
Councilor Alvin Arcilla said the vehicles should only be assigned to bonded officers like the barangay captains or treasurers in compliance with the Local Government Code.
Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella defended Rama’s part in the vehicle distribution. He disagreed that technical malversation was involved.
This would only happen if City Hall funds are spent for a purchase other than the purpose that it was approved for, he said.
The P80-million budget in 2012 was used to buy 39 Toyota Hi-Lux pickups, 29 Mitsubishi Stradas and 12 Toyota Innova vans.
In 2012, the mayor stirred questions when he assigned new vehicles to Team Rama allies in the barangay council and not barangay captains allied with BO-PK.
The issue reached the court last February, when Rama’s ally in barangay Day-as, former barangay captain Rey Elery Cañada, was sued for malversation of public property and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act for still using the barangay’s Toyota Hi-Lux pickup after his term.
The current barangay captain Jerome Puerto, is allied with BO-PK.