DILG says Renting out buses by brgys. not illegal

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Interior and Local Government sees no violation when one barangay rents out its bus to others.

This came about after the accident last Wednesday where a bus owned by barangay Sambag-1 plunged into a cliff leaving two people dead and dozens injured.

DILG Regional Director Pedro Noval said that the barangay was just practicing its corporate power, which is entitled to all the barangays.

Noval explained that each barangay has the right to practice their corporate power, which means they could do entrepreneurial activities like renting their facilities as long as the money will go to the coffers of the barangay.

He said that the corporate power would help in finding means to have extra revenues for their community for developmental projects.

According to Noval, as long as the two parties, in this case Sambag I and the members of the Legion of Mary of barangay Babag, which rented the mini-bus, has an agreement then it is okay.

He added that the money that the barangay will earn from the rentals should be properly accounted and should have the receipts to back it up.

He also said that each barangay has their auditor which monitors the proper usage of money.

“Ari sad mu-sud ang Commission on Audit, i-monitor man sad na ang expenditures nila per barangay,” he said.

But aside from this, DILG also monitors through their Compliance Trading System if barangays are following the correct procedures in the conduct of their business.

Noval, however, said that since the facilities are for the residents of the barangay, then their needs should be prioritized.

He said that he understands that not all barangays have the facilities, but officials of barangays that allow others to use their facilities and equipment must prioritize their constituents.

Sambag I barangay captain Jerry Guardo however clarified that their bus was not actually “for rent” because they did not ask for rental. They just asked those who would like to avail of the bus to pay for the fuel.

Guardo said that it is common practice for other barangays also to let others borrow their service buses especially to those who do not have a vehicle of their own.

Guardo however said that he is willing to face the probe of the Ombudsman.

He however explained that their primary concern is to give assistance to those who were injured and are still in the hospital.

More than 40 members of the Legion of Mary of barangay Babag and their families were brought to the different hospitals in Cebu City after their bus fell off a cliff when it lost its brakes in sitio Maaslom, barangay Busay. They were on their way to a summer outing in Danao when the incident happened.

Meanwhile, Acting City Mayor Michael Rama reiterated his call that the driver of the ill-fated bus must undergo a liquor and drug test.

“We want to make sure that he was not under the influence of drugs or of alcohol when he was driving as he was claiming that he did not jump off the vehicle,” Rama said.

The acting mayor also said that it is the responsibility of the barangays to check if their vehicles are road worthy.

“Having mini buses for the mountain barangays is dangerous. Dili dapat duwa-duwa-an sa barangay ang ingon ana nga butang.” — AJ de la Torre with Crischellyn D. Abayon (THE FREEMAN)