Strict rules set for gov’t vehicles use

By Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – The city government here will be implementing stricter rules on use of government vehicles to avoid wasteful spending of government funds.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan recently issued Administrative Order No. 35 series of 2015 which authorizes the City General Services Office (GSO) to establish measures in managing not only the use of government vehicles but fuel supply as well.

Being the custodian and administrator of city government properties, the mayor said the GSO is mandated to prescribe internal measures to safeguard and control the use of City government vehicles and gasoline expenses.

This time, all city government vehicles will have to pass through the GSO for their approval before any gasoline or diesel is drawn.

The GSO will be issuing to different offices Driver’s Trip Ticket (DTT) with serial numbers approved by the City General Services Officer or his duly authorized representative to control its issuance.    

The approval of the DTT shall be “by authority of the Chief Executive.”

All city government vehicles will also be marked ‘For Official Use Only” including the name of the agency or office as required.

The GSO will also require offices to have the odometer of their vehicles undergo repair, calibration or replacement to insure that it will have an accurate record of the distance that the respective vehicle travelled as indicated in the DTT.

Drawing of gasoline and diesel for government vehicles will strictly be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon during regular days and 8 a.m. to 10 am during holidays, Saturdays and Sundays except for garbage trucks, city issued police patrol cars and motorcycle vehicles including city government ambulances and fire trucks during emergency cases only.

Vehicles for long distance trip covered by Travel Authority may be allowed to withdraw prior to departure from station.

The said administrative order seeks to address Audit Observation Memorandum issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the absence of a monthly report of official travels and monthly report of gasoline consumption to support the utilization of gasoline and the proper accomplishment of the Driver’s Trip Ticket (DTT).

The COA report stated, the non-enforcement of proper controls over the use of government vehicles may result in wasteful spending of government funds and the lapses in the preparation of the DTT’s may result in the misuse of government vehicles and the utilization of gasoline may not be adequately controlled.

COA Circular No. 1977-61 prescribes the filling-up of a serially numbered DTT before any trip is undertaken approved by the head of agency.

The DTT should also include the name of the driver and its authorized passengers who will also sign the same before the trip is made.

For the Calendar year 2014, the City government has disbursed P25,169,962.15 for payment of gasoline used for 215 government motor vehicles assigned to the different offices.