Bohol appropriates P24M for new vehicles for board members

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

TAGBILARAN CITY – The Province of Bohol through its Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has appropriated P24 million for the purchase of 14 new vehicles for the SP board members and for the Vice governor.

According to Ven Arigo of the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER) that the allocation/procurement was approved and authorized by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) based on national guidelines and that it is valid and justified.

Bohol governor Arthur Yap said he let the SP, which is co-equal to the executive branch to decide its wisdom behind the need to replace its old vehicle units. 

The legislature has the power of the purse which can be exercised for a legitimate purpose, on a valid reason without sacrificing the allocations for other essential concerns, Yap added.

Arigo bared that the SP noted the huge maintenance expenses of its old vehicles through the years that have been used by already three batches of board members.

From 2013 to 2020, the province already obligated more than P11 million in repair and maintenance expenses for the units, according to the records of the Provincial Accounting Office (PACCO).

The PACCO report said that 14 vehicles were then bought at a total of P15.4 million, with one of them procured as early as 2006 or 14 years ago. Bought at P1.040 million each then, 12 of the old units already depreciated to a book value of just P104,000 each as of last year.

But the units can still be used by other offices which have no vehicles or are needing support units, the report added.

Arigo went on that the procurement of the new vehicles was already programmed in 2019, but the SP then called it off when the pandemic started in the first quarter 2020. 

The SP has responded to the call of COVID-19 management and has obligated more thanP361.2 million while for the 10 hospitals of the province the obligations reached to P453.5 million.

Yap in a press conference, Friday, April 16 said that this year, the allocations for COVID-19 programs and projects and continuing upgrading of the facilities, services and capacities of the hospitals amid the pandemic have been placed at P1.2 billion. (Photos: Google files)