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Sunday, February 23, 2003
For 2 brgys, service vehicles ate up their slice of P32M pie
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
OFFICIALS of Barangays Sudlon 1 and Inayawan bought vehicles worth more than P700,000 each with their share of the P32 million Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña gave handpicked barangays.
Village chiefs of both barangays, which have an income of P1.1 million and P3 million, respectively, said they needed the vehicles for the efficient delivery of basic services to constituents.
Inayawan barangay officials spent P849,000 for a new Toyota Revo, now being used by Inayawan Barangay Chief Licerio “Warlito” Jaca on official functions and by other barangay officials in processing documents at City Hall. Inayawan received P750,000 from City Hall.
Sudlon 1 Barangay Captain Dante Tabucal said the second-hand Mitsubishi Pajero, which they bought for P770,000, inclusive of new spare parts, has long been needed by the barangay, which is about 30 kilometers away from the city.
The four-wheel-drive vehicle, he said, will be very useful in cases of emergency.
Tabucal, who is on his last term, said he consulted City Accountant Palermo Lugo before making the purchase using the P1-million aid Osmeña gave them.
Other needs
In the case of Sudlon 1, the aid was said to be a reward for not using their savings for extra Christmas bonuses in 2001.
The Commission on Audit has ordered 75 of Cebu City’s 80 barangays to refund the P19 million they used for their extra Christmas bonuses.
The Department of Budget and Management also reminded barangays to implement cost-saving measures to deliver the required programs and services at lesser expenses.
Jaca admitted he heard criticisms on the purchase of the Revo but he pointed out that he used his own Tamaraw FX when he worked for the City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works for over a year, without collecting any refund for the gas and repair costs.
The barangay’s flooding problems are being addressed by the City Government since Inayawan’s funds are limited.
Aside from the construction of line canals in the vicinity of the Inayawan bridge to improve drainage, a topographic survey and riprapping of the Inayawan creek need to be prioritized since flooding in the area poses risks to the lives of some 1,000 residents.
The project will cost P1.5 million.
Osmeña was earlier questioned by the City Council for releasing P32 million as assistance to 61 of the 80 city’s barangays, without passing through the council.
‘Not a luxury’
The budget department and the Commission on Audit have been asked to examine the matter. The anti-graft office is also investigating whether the mayor exercised favoritism in choosing the barangay-beneficiaries and how much each should get in financial aid.
Tinago Barangay Captain Joel Garganera, who is allied with the opposition, said that as long as barangay officials allied with the administration do not “squander the resources of the government” and ensure that their constituents get the services they need, there is nothing wrong with purchasing high-end vehicles.
“I don’t question the wisdom of the barangay officials. It’s not a luxury. It’s about time the barangays do not settle for less,” he said.
Tinago also bought last year a new Isuzu vehicle, worth P600,000, using its savings from drainage projects that were implemented through Rep. Raul del Mar’s Priority Assistance Development Fund.
In Garganera’s 14 years as barangay captain, this is the first time the barangay bought a vehicle, which the barangay council believes is more cost-efficient than spending for the repair of a multicab.
Kasambagan Barangay Captain Angelo Pepito, also allied with the opposition, shared Garganera’s view.
He said the barangay council felt it was not wise for them to spend P7,000 to P10,000 for the repair of the multicab so they decided to buy a Toyota Revo, worth P400,000, using the Sangguniang Kabataan funds.
(February 23, 2003 issue)
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