EDITORIAL

Ride In Vehicle With Red Plate?

Malacañang issued Executive Order No. 239 Organizing the Operation Plan (OPLAN) Red Plate. It organizes six national government agencies into "Task Force Oplan Red Plate".

The six agencies are the Ombudsman, Land Transpor-tation Office (LTO), Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and the Commission on Audit (COA).
The task force is organized to implement auditing and accounting laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the use of government motor vehicles according to the purpose for which a vehicle is issued to a government office, public officials and employees.

Billions of pesos are lost by the government annually because of the misuses and abuses of government vehicles in terms of purchases of spare parts, repair, fuel, lubricants, lost of lives, damage to properties and even salaries and allowances of drivers. Judicious implementation of E.O. No. 239 may enable the government to save about 1.5 percent or about P7 billion yearly out of unauthorized use of government motor vehicles.

There are several good accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations approved and in place since 1953 or 56 years ago. The observance of those laws, rules, and regulations by those who are issued government vehicles "For Official Use Only" will minimize if not totally stop abuses. The head of office is issued government vehicle to improve his mobility, ease operation, and improve work productivity. The ordinary government employee except the driver has remote access to government vehicle.

COA Circular 75-6 dated Nov. 7, 1975 regulates the use of government motor vehicles, aircrafts and watercrafts. This COA Circular mandates that all, government vehicles must be marked "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". Are government vehicles properly marked? Any government vehicle before it leaves the garage must have a "trip ticket" which is duly signed by the authorized officer of the office. The trip ticket must show the vehicle plate number, name and signature of driver and passengers, destination, purposes of travel, and date issued among others.

The trip ticket issued shall be displayed on the windshield or in another conspicuous place on the vehicle.

Government officials who collect transportation allowance are not entitled to ride in government vehicles as per PD 733, Section 14. Should a government official who is collecting transpor-tation allowance rides in a government vehicle, a corresponding proportionate reduction to his transportation allowance shall be made.

COA Circular No. 84–238 issued on Nov. 6, 1984 prohibits the "use of government transportation by the spouses, children, relatives, friends of officials. Is this prohibition followed? Only God knows. Government motor vehicles shall not be used for fetching officials and employees from home to office and back home.

EO No. 418 dated Aug. 13, 1990 bars the use of government vehicles on Sundays, and holidays, out of regular office hours, outside the route of officials and employees authorized to use.

After a trip is completed, the government motor vehicle must be parked in office garage. Parking in houses or residences is highly prohibited during non-working hours and in the evening.

Can the Oplan Red Plate Task Force comply with this jobs? And crackdown in the misuses and abuses of government motor vehicles? Yes, provided the concerned officials will cooperate, obey the accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations. This is a matter of honesty and integrity. Why abuse the people’s resources entrusted to them?

The rule is simple. Paint the required markings and the office where the vehicle is issued. Obtain trip ticket for every official travel, refrain spouses, children, relatives and friends from riding in government vehicle except for good reasons, park the vehicle in office garage after each official trip.
Atty. Allen S. Quimpo in his remarks in the recent Kapehan challenged bureau-crats, members of the tri-media and the general public to be vigilant and assist the Oplan Red Plate Task Force implement the Executive Order on the crackdown, the misuses, and abuses in the utilization of government motor vehicles.

Mr. Valtimore Conanan wishes all those concerns will comply with the laws, rules and regulations in order to avoid apprehension and lose of face. /MP