Purchase of SUVs for P’sinan execs defended despite media barbs

By Mar T. Supnad

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The issue over the purchase and distribution of 16 units of Ford Everest sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to provincial board members has heated up with scathing criticism from the media.

But despite this, 6th district board member Alfonso Bince,Jr. took the cudgels for his peers during a press briefing after the SP adjourned its regular session last week.

“We are very thankful as we are gratified for having been given official service vehicles,” Bince said, saying it was the first time in the history of the provincial government that such a gesture of support was given to the provincial board.

For the first time in 20 years, it’s only now that we are in full house at the session,” Bince said, adding that “SP will show its united posture ready to do battle in times that we are the subject of criticism and intrigue.”

The purchase and distribution of the service vehicles last week drew criticisms from media personalities.

But Bince, the longest-serving member of the provincial legislature, downplayed the criticisms, pointing out that the purchase was done in accordance with audit rules.

“There’s no hanky-panky here, everything was done properly, transparently and in the interest of public service,” Bince said.

Bince said the board had long requested from previous governors, and also to Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. during his first term, on the need of service vehicles for the SP members.

According to him, the governor asked SP members to “just wait for a little time” as there were other priorities which had to be accomplished immediately
In a separate interview, Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan said owing to sound fiscal management and judicious spending, the provincial government was able to generate savings which were used to finance various vital projects, especially addressing the problem on poverty.

It was during the governor’s first year in office that the provincial government’s goat and large-cattle dispersal program was strengthened and gained wide acceptance and support by target constituencies including five women groups.

The Espino administration on its first term, according to Baraan, also focused on the upgrading of health care services where some 265,000 indigent families were enrolled in and covered by the Phil-Health insurance program from a mere enrolment of 26,000 marginalized families in 2006.

Baraan also said since the first term of the Espino administration, the provincial employees were accorded salary increases, four times in a row, up to 46 percent, as well as the increase of provincial scholars from 300 to 2,000 poor but deserving students enjoying support from the provincial government.

The provincial government fast-tracked the completion of infrastructure projects that included rehabilitation of 14 community hospitals, construction of the first-ever dialysis center operated by the provincial government, the repair of school buildings damaged by a series of typhoons that hit the province, construction of asphalt and concrete roads and the beefing up of the broad-based livelihood program that now benefits several hundreds of marginalized families.

The provincial government also purchased serviced vehicles for the Department of Education, brand new ambulances for the 14 province-owned hospitals, seven brand new eco-tourism buses and one coaster, seven reconditioned shuttle buses for employees and vehicles for various provincial offices, among others.

Because of our numerous exemplary achievements, the Regional Development Council has awarded an unprecedented eight major awards to the provincial government including two Hall-of-Fame awards, Baraan also said.

Echoing the sentiment of the other SP members, Bince said vehicles issued to them will be for “official use only.”

“The vehicles are owned by the provincial government and each one of us will have to be circumspect and judicious in using them,” he said.

In thanking the provincial government, Bince said “each member of the SP can now be more of better service, faster and more reliable, with the vehicles which, he added, will also be allowed to be used by their respective constituencies, especially on emergency cases.

Board Member Ranjit Shahani, himself a former vice governor, described the purchase as very timely since, he said, he was just using an old pick-up loaned by his mother, former Sen. Leticia Ramos-Shahani.

“It is true that we have our private cars, but sometimes it is borrowed by my constituents like for instance it was borrowed to serve as ambulance and now that we have this new vehicle, they can also borrow it,” he added.