The suspension of fuel allocation is not to take away the subsidy, Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia stressed Thursday, June 20, 2024, following the negative reactions from several barangay captains.
“Wa man nako kuhaa ang ilang allocations sa ilang frontline services sa ilang vehicles, so paaboton na lang nako ilang letters (I did not get their fuel allocation for their frontline service for their vehicles. I am just waiting for their letter request),” said Garcia.
Garcia has ordered the suspension of fuel allocation on June 18, except for emergency vehicles, after several personnel from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) complained about the alleged unauthorized use of fuel and salary deductions in their office.
Two days into the fuel suspension order, the office of the acting mayor received more than 10 letter requests, including from three barangay captains, to release the fuel subsidy for their respective offices.
“Kani man god atong assessment kay posible nato nga i-reduce, posible sab natong addan (This is also our assessment because it is possible to reduce it, it is also possible for us to add),” said Garcia.
“As much as possible I’d like to resolve in two to three kay dili sab pwede malangay kay mabalda sab ilang trabaho (because they can’t be delayed because their work will also be interrupted),” he added.
But Garcia reiterated that he has no plans for now to lift the fuel suspension order but has stressed that departments and offices have to submit a letter request to his office about the subsidy.
“My instruction was not nga i-lift, my instruction was write me a letter justifying why you need the fuel allocations,” said Garcia.
He said he believed that there could be other offices with illegal practices and not only the CCDRRMO, “Kahibaw diay sila nga ang disaster (CCDRRMO) ra ang naay milagro? (Do they know that only disaster office...sa ubang department, ang City ug even barangay, ang disaster lang ang nadakpan,” said Garcia.
For Barangay Cogon Pardo Captain Harry Eran, the development did not hamper any of their services.
“As of now, it does not affect our day-to-day operations, considering we have our fuel allocation in our budget,” said Eran.
“Hopefully it will be restored as soon as possible, otherwise, our budget will eventually deplete and various basic services will be affected,” Eran added.
He also said that as long as emergency vehicles and garbage trucks are not affected by the current fuel suspension order, barangays can still effectively serve their constituents.
Meanwhile, Garcia, in a letter response to Liga ng mga Barangay President Franklyn Ong dated June 19, said: “Barangay vehicles that cater to other frontline services are still eligible to receive fuel subsidy upon submission of a letter request to my office.”
He also assured the barangay official that “the request for fuel subsidy shall be promptly acted upon to prevent any interruption of public service.”
Cebu City Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., in an interview with SunStar Cebu’s online news program “Beyond the Headlines” on Thursday, June 20, disclosed that nine CCDRRMO personnel went to his office to voice their concerns about the alleged anomaly, which they claimed started in 2022.
“Nisumbing sila nga aduna silay mga concerns, mga palusot kuno dinha sa opisina but I told them nga...seryoso man ni, dili man ni komedya inyong pasangil mopirma gyud mo og affidavit, ipa-notarized ninyo kay kon naa na na siya akong basehan sa akong pag-expose (They said that they have concerns, excuses in the office, but I told them that... seriously, this is not a joke and excuse, you have to sign an affidavit, have it notarized because if that is legalized, I have a basis when I expose them),” said Alcover. / CDF