South Cotabato governor questioned over purchase of P71 million-worth of vehicles mid-pandemic

South Cotabato Vice Governor Vicente de Jesus questioned the prudence and sensitivity of the provincial government, led by Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, in procuring 60 vehicles worth P71 million in the middle of of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tamayo had asked for the approval of a supplemental budget amounting to P71 million for the purchase of 60 brand-new vehicles, which would be distributed to 60 barangays, 5 judges, two provincial councilors, and provincial police and department heads.

Tamayo then ordered that the province’s 2019 budget for the construction of roads and bridges be realigned to purchase the vehicles.

De Jesus, in a phone interview with Rappler Tuesday, August 11, said he questions the prudence and sensitivity of Tamayo in purchasing vehicles at this point in the pandemic.

De Jesus added that he and several board members have opposed the procurement, which contradicts the government’s thrust to observe austerity in expenditures during the health crisis.

“I asked the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) if we are covered by the austerity measures under National on Budget Circular (NBC) 580 dated April 22, 2020, and the DBM answered, no, we are not covered by the NBC,” de Jesus said.

DBM wrote de Jesus that NBC 580 only covered departments, agencies, and operating units of the National Government, including State Universities and Colleges and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations, receiving budgetary appropriations authorized under the General Appropriations Act for fiscal years 2019 and 2020.

“DBM also told us that they leave to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial council) the wisdom in the purchase of the vehicles,” De Jesus added.

De Jesus, however, stressed that the provincial government should have taken some discretion to observe austerity and prioritized the disbursement of public funds during the pandemic.

“We should have use the funds for the fight against COVID-19. There are so many public schools here asking us for help in the printing of modular class materials. One school alone is asking us for 500 reams of bond paper for printing the materials,” he said.

“I think we are the only local government in the entire Philippines that purchased this many vehicles during this time of the pandemic,” he added.

South Cotabato Board Members Ellen Grace Subere-Albios and Jinky Avance have withdrawn their request for new official vehicles and instead told the governor to use the funds for the province’s COVID-19 response initiatives.

Subere-Albios said the funds should be used instead to help cushion the impact of COVID-19, like the purchase of food items for marginalized sectors, and of school materials and supplies needed by local public schools for their online and modular teaching schemes.

Intended as ‘rescue vehicles’

In response to the backlash, Tamayo in a press conference said the vehicles were meant specifically for rescue efforts during calamities.

“The barangay vehicles are intended as rescue vehicles,” he told reporters. “If there is a calamity, how will you conduct rescue without it? The…vehicles acquired before were surplus…after 2 months of use, it is already broken down. That’s why we are acquiring brand-new vehicles.”

“The [provincial and regional disaster risk reduction and management offices] cannot respond to the simultaneous rescue…. The disaster response (team) cannot respond if there are multiple flooded areas. How will you rescue if you don’t have rescue vehicles?” he went on.

Tamayo also pointed out that it is the function of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to make sure that legislation for funding is available.

“I know my work; we don’t have a money problem. The province has money; we are using the same amount of budget from the previous years in purchasing the new vehicles. I only divided it because the vehicles acquired are brand-new,” he added. – Rappler.com