A July 20, 2026, Department of General Services report recommended referring five Cebu City Government bus drivers and an electrician for possible administrative charges over unauthorized reverse alarms installed on City-owned buses.
The investigation stemmed from a viral social media video showing a City bus at a funeral emitting an obscene sound from a nonstandard alarm personally purchased by one of the drivers.
Investigators concluded that while the modifications were primarily intended to improve road safety, the personnel violated government procedures by failing to secure prior approval before altering the vehicles.
FIVE Cebu City Government bus drivers and an electrician may face administrative charges after investigators found they installed unauthorized reverse alarms on City-owned buses without prior approval.
A Department of General Services (DGS) investigation found the modifications were intended primarily to improve road safety. However, the report concluded that the installations violated government procedures because no authorization had been secured beforehand.
The recommendation is contained in a DGS investigation report dated July 20, 2026. It stemmed from a viral social media video showing a City-owned bus equipped with an inappropriate reverse alarm while being used during a funeral service.
Public backlash
The incident drew public criticism and prompted the DGS to conduct a fact-finding investigation into how the alarms were installed, who authorized them and whether administrative sanctions were warranted.
Investigators found that five bus drivers arranged for reverse alarms to be installed on their assigned buses without obtaining approval from their immediate supervisors or the department head.
According to the report, all five drivers said they installed the alarms to improve operational safety, citing the buses’ limited rear visibility and blind spots that increase the risk of accidents involving pedestrians and smaller vehicles while reversing.
Four of the drivers used standard reverse warning devices salvaged from decommissioned City buses.
The devices emitted the conventional electronic “beep-beep” sound commonly used in commercial and government vehicles.
One driver, however, personally purchased and installed a reverse alarm that produced an obscene, nonstandard sound. The same bus later appeared in the viral social media video.
Different levels of responsibility
The investigation found that the driver had repeatedly been advised by fellow bus drivers to remove the device and replace it with a standard reverse warning alarm. He continued using it until the incident prompted the investigation.
The report also identified an electrician assigned to the DGS’ bus repair section as having installed the reverse alarms at the drivers’ request without first obtaining approval from his supervisor or the department head.
Investigators found no evidence that government funds were misappropriated or that any of the personnel received personal financial gain from the installations.
Instead, the report concluded that although the modifications were driven primarily by safety concerns, they still constituted unauthorized alterations to government vehicles because the required approvals had not been obtained.
The investigation distinguished the level of responsibility among those involved.
It said the four drivers who installed standard alarms salvaged from decommissioned buses were responding to legitimate safety concerns and that there was no evidence they acted in bad faith or benefited financially from the modifications.
The driver who installed the nonstandard alarm, however, was found to bear greater responsibility because he purchased the device himself, ignored repeated advice to replace it with a standard warning alarm and continued using it until it became the subject of widespread public criticism.
Investigators said his actions demonstrated poor judgment and disregard for reasonable advice, factors that may be considered in determining his administrative liability.
The electrician, meanwhile, was found to have failed to exercise due diligence by installing the alarms without first verifying that the required approvals had been obtained.
Recommended actions
The DGS recommended referring the investigation report to the Human Resource Management Office and the City Legal Office for evaluation and the possible filing of administrative cases against the five bus drivers and the electrician under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.
It also recommended inspecting all unauthorized reverse alarms installed on City-owned buses and replacing them, when necessary, with department-approved standard warning devices.
The report further proposed requiring prior written approval before any repair, modification or installation of accessories on government vehicles, establishing uniform technical standards for reverse alarms and conducting orientation sessions for drivers, mechanics, electricians and other personnel on proper procedures for vehicle modifications.
The report cited the 1987 Constitution, Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service as the legal bases for possible administrative sanctions. / CAV