Friday, March 28, 2008 Guv defends purchase of luxury cars
NEGROS Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco defended Tuesday the purchase of luxury vehicles by members of the Provincial Board, saying the new cars would serve them more effectively in reaching out to their constituents.
Zayco said board members had been requesting for new service vehicles since last August because majority of them had been using old cars.
"Then Governor Joseph Marañon told them that the purchase of new vehicles should be taken from their discretionary fund in next year's budget and they all agreed", Zayco said.
He said the fund for the purchase of their vehicles were taken from the board member's P1.5 million annual discretionary budget and they had made sure that said purchases were above board.
Zayco clarified that each vehicle did not cost more than the P1.1 million price limit as mandated by law when it was bought and delivered last January.
The governor said the price of each vehicle ranged from P1.076-million to P1.1-million and that the board was able to avail of factory discounts.
Every board member also has a say on what to do with his annual discretionary budget allocation and that they did not violate any law in buying the service vehicles, he added.
Board secretary York Ylesorio said members of the board who availed of new service vehicles were 1st district Renato Gustilo and Nehemias Dela Cruz with one Ford Trekker each, Edgardo Acuña who got a Ford Everest while Miller Serondo is yet to receive the vehicle he ordered; Mae Javellana and Janet Torres of the 4th district also received a Ford Everest each, Dr. Melvin Ybañez of the 5th district got a Nissan Navarra, BMs Adolfo Mangao and Macario Zafra of the 6th district had a Ford Everest each as their service vehicle and Raul Rivera, the representative of the Philippine Councilors League in the PB also got a Ford Everest.
Former 4th district board member and now Vice Governor Emilio 'Dino' Yulo III canceled the vehicle he ordered after Zayco's old service vehicle was given to him.
Only Patrick Lacson of the 3rd district opted to stick with his old Suzuki Vitara service vehicle and insisted that his discretionary budget for this year would go to projects in his district.
Zayco added the new service vehicles will help the members, especially those from far away districts, in their day to day activities in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
He also said their previous vehicles would be returned to the Provincial Capitol and might be given to the different departments.
Meanwhile, Zayco confirmed some reshuffling among Capitol staff, especially in his office and that of Yulo.
Transferred to the Governor's Office from the Vice Governor's Office were Jonathan Lobaton, executive assistant IV; Dorothy Abalos, EA II; Gerald Tupas, EA II; Carmela Villavicencio, EA II; Melissa Cordova, clerk II; Jouie Marie Aquino, clerk II; Pamela Arroyo, clerk I; and Arnel Aguilar, utility worker II.(Karl Ombion)
