Task force to go after illegal use of government cars

The days of abusive government officials and employees who illegally use public vehicles for their personal purposes are numbered.

This after ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez created Task Force Oplan Red Plate to apprehend government officials and employees caught using the public vehicles for their private use.

A team of personnel from this task force will be sent to different places in the Visayas and in Mindanao to check on the activities of the government officials and other personnel who have been issued with public vehicles.

Gutierrez earlier suspended for six months without pay Cebu Port Authority general manager Mariano Martinez for using the CPA vehicle in fetching his daughter to and from school.

The Commission on Audit officials here support the creation of the task force to discourage public servants from using the government vehicles for their private purpose.

In Manila, the task force is set to file administrative and criminal charges against 30 public officials and employees for alleged unauthorized use of government vehicles.

Gutierrez's purpose in creating the task force is to curb the irregular practice by state officials and workers of using government vehicles -both red plate and security plates- and unofficially to generate savings for the government.

Those who will be caught for illegally using the government vehicles will be charged for violating Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code or malversation of public funds or property before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aside from the criminal complaint, those who will be apprehended will be also charged for violation of RA 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

There was a recommendation that the concerned officials and employees be placed under preventive suspension for six months without pay pending investigation of the case.

The Ombudsman earlier launched an online complaint center where the public can inform the anti-graft body about the illegal use of vehicles. It can be reached at [email protected].

Roy Ursal, the COA-7 regional cluster director for legal matters, wants stiffer sanctions be imposed against government officials and employees caught using public vehicles for their personal interest.

He said many of those officials and employees who were issued with government vehicles are not afraid because of the light sanctions for the violators which is only a mere disallowance of the fuel for their vehicles.

He proposed that the congressmen should enact a law that would suspend or dismiss from the service any government officials and employees who will be found using public vehicles for their personal interest.

The COA manual for property custodianship provides that "the use of government transportation by spouses, children, relatives, friends, etc. of the officials entitled thereto is included in the prohibition even if they are in the company of said officials."

The COA rules also provides that "in every case, the trip ticket authorizing the use of the vehicles shall be displayed in the windshield or in another conspicuous place on the vehicle.

"The use of government vehicles on Sundays, legal holidays or outside regular office hours or outside the route of the officials or employees authorized to use them, shall unless properly authorized, be prima facie evidence of the violation," it added. - Rene U. Borromeo