Cebu City candidates utilizing government vehicles in campaign?

CEBU CITY — Are incumbent officials who are running for re-election under Mayor Alvin Garcia’s Kugi Uswag Sugbo party taking advantage of their public office and using government vehicles in their campaign sorties?

At least three government vehicles were reportedly used by Kusug candidates during their whole-day campaign the other day in the mountain barangays of Pamutan, Toong, Buhisan and Sapangdaku.

Reporters covering the event personally saw the vehicles, bearing red license plates and "For Official Use Only" signs, being used for the campaign. Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code provides that the use of public funds, money deposited in trust, equipment, facilities owned or controlled by the government for an election campaign is an election offense.

Incumbent councilor Fe Mantua-Ruiz, whose daughter Dana Ruiz-Sesante is running in the coming polls, and re-electionist councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. reportedly joined the campaign sortie using government-issued vehicles.

Mantua-Ruiz arrived aboard a white Toyota Land Cruiser with license plate SCN-614, while Gabuya came in a white Suzuki Vitara with license plate SEZ-824.

Kusug supporters also went to the campaign sortie aboard a Mitsubishi Strada 300 with license plate SDT-165.

Gabuya, however, said he was in Barangay To-ong to inspect his projects there and not to campaign.

Among the projects that Gabuya said he inspected were a multipurpose building and a footbridge. He said he also distributed water hoses to the different barangays.

Mantua-Ruiz, for her part, also denied using a government vehicle to campaign for her daughter.

"She is not with me. I did not even wear a political t-shirt and, in fact, I did not go with them because I am no longer a candidate," Ruiz said. — Freeman News Service