Workers told: Don’t use government vehicles in sortie

CEBU, Philippines — All Cebu City officials and employees are prohibited from using the city-owned vehicles in any campaign activity for the 2019 midterm polls.

Last March 6, Mayor Tomas Osmeña issued a memorandum informing the officials and employees that they are barred from using government vehicles for election campaign.

“In compliance with Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations and the Election Code, all officials and employees are hereby directed to refrain from using government vehicles for election or campaign related activities,” read a portion of the memorandum.

It further detailed that city-owned vehicles shall be used only for official business with a trip ticket from the Department of General Services (DGS).

“However, the Office of the City Treasurer is allowed to use government vehicles during the election period for the hauling and distribution of election materials and paraphernalia as the custodian and accountable office of such materials and paraphernalia,” it added.

Mayor’s Executive Assistant Francisco Fernandez told The FREEMAN that under the law, officials and employees are not allowed to use government-owned vehicles for campaign and election activities.

The memorandum takes effect once the campaign period for local candidates starts on March 29.

Based on the calendar of activities of the Commission on Elections, the campaign period for local election bets will start on March 29, 2019 to May 11, 2019 and the Election Day will be on May 13, 2019.

He said the mayor issued the memorandum to remind the respondents about the prohibition and to avoid untoward issues about it.

“That’s common sense, kining ato to emphasize sa atoang employees.  They shouldn’t use vehicles para sa anang candidates and supporters not to use government facilities para ana,” Fernandez said.

He admitted that he is not sure whether or not there are issues about the utilization of vehicles for election campaigning.

He hopes that officials and employees will abide by the memorandum, otherwise they will be punished as stated under the law.

“That’s mandated by law ang sanctions, so ang full force sa law, atong ipatuman or igamit…I am not so sure but sige man gud na, naa man gyud na, complaints like that. Ato lang we are trying to emphasize nga unta tumanon na sa tanan,” Fernandez said.

Meanwhile, Comelec-Cebu City is now training the members of the electoral board for the May 2019 elections.

North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno said they trained the electoral board on how to facilitate and use the machine.

After the training, the more than 2,000 electoral board members will take an exam for the issuance of the certificate from the Department of Science and Technology for being qualified to facilitate the election.

“Importante ni siya kay mo-operate man gud sila sa machine, unya kana atong training dili lang na basta-basta na training, kinahanglan gyud nga i-certify sila sa DOST nga nakapasar sa examination before sila maka-serve as electoral board,” Sarno told The FREEMAN. (FREEMAN)