Degamo shuns DILG order to explain recall of PB cars

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has criticized a directive of the Department of Interior and Local Government for him to explain his recall of the provincial government-owned vehicles assigned to the members of the Provincial Board.

Degamo said that, as governor, he is the official custodian of the vehicles with the power to approve their use and consumption of fuel, and his order to have this marked with “for official use only.”

The DILG order is way off, he said, expressing surprise on why the agency dipped its hands on the matter that should have been addressed on his level.

Degamo had ordered several weeks ago the recall of the vehicles, each assigned to Vice Governor Edward Mark Macias and the PB members, by cancelling the memorandum receipts, saying they no longer need the cars for monitoring of projects they themselves had disapproved.

A few of them obliged with the governor’s order, but the rest did not, prompting Degamo to order the police and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend the unreturned vehicles.

During his recent visit to Metro Manila, Degamo said he met with DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero and a certain Director (Manuel) Gotis, who was the one who issued the order for the governor’s explanation of the recall of vehicles.

“I think he was misinformed,” said the governor, referring to Gotis. Panadero for his part apologized to Degamo during their meeting about the matter. (FREEMAN)