Budget committee turns down request for ambulance

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council’s budget committee did not endorse the request for the purchase of a brand new ambulance for Barangay Malubog as the barangay already received a new ambulance from the city last year.

City Councilor Edgardo Labella sponsored a resolution for the purchase of an ambulance worth P1 million to be charged against Pagcor funds in response to the request of Malubog Barangay Captain Federico Bontilao.

But Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, head of  the Committee on Budget and Finance, was able to produce documents which showed that the city has issued five assorted vehicles to Barangay Malubog including an ambulance.

In her committee report to the City Council, Osmeña said the Hyundai ambulance was received by the barangay on January 10, 2012.

Then, it also received an Isuzu mini bus on March 5, 2012, another Hyundai Mobile Transporter on March 15, 2012, an Isuzu Elf garbage truck on July 29, 2012 and the brand new Mitsubishi Fusion late last year.

Osmeña said the ambulance is necessary in the mountains, but considering that the barangay already has a brand new ambulance and several other vehicles, it would be inappropriate to grant the request.

Malubog has a land area of 55 hectares with a population of 2,445.

Labella explained that he was just facilitating the request of Bontilao to help his barangay avail of an ambulance and he did not know that the barangay already received an ambulance last year. — (FREEMAN)