Monday, September 29, 2008 City vehicles without 'for official use only' sign: COA
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has found out that Dumaguete City Government vehicles bear private plates and do not have the "for official use" only markings.
Government auditors, in an inventory of city vehicles, noted that 34 bore private plates.
These include 14 Honda motorcycles, three Zusuki muulticabs, 10 dump trucks, and seven service vehicle of various makes.
The COA also found out that a hummer assigned to the City Economic Enterprises Department, an ambulance assigned to the City Health Office, an Izusu dump truck and four Honda motorcycles assigned to the City Planning and Development Office, Philippine National Police (PNP), sectoral desk, and the City Treasurer's Office were all without plates.
They also saw that one motorcycle has a government plate but its numbers were painted green, to make it appear that the vehicle was not government-owned.
Auditors, due to their discovery, conducted an ocular inspection of other vehicles of the city and noticed that of 103 they checked out, 76 did not have the "for official use only" marking.
Section V (4) of COA Circular 75-6 requires that all government vehicles bear government plates only.
Section V (2) of the same circular provides that all motor vehicles owned by local governments or government agencies must be marked "for official use only" in three-inch letters, under which should be written the corresponding name of the bureau, office, corporation, province, city, municipality, or other local government unit operating or using them.
The COA, in alluding to what it had discovered, emphasized that the use of private plates and the absence of the marking "for official use only" allows the misuse or personal use of such vehicles.
The general services officer explained that it printed stickers of the "for official use only" marking for all city vehicles including motorcycles. The official also said that their vehicles have private plates because the Land Transportation Office (LTO) does not have a supply of government plates.
Auditors insisted that the City Government immediately put the required marking on the vehicles.
The COA auditors also ordered local officials to make a periodic follow up with LTO for the government plates.
