Pangasinan board member defends vehicle purchase

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Amid the uproar over the purchase by the provincial government of brand new Ford Everest for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, a board member defended the move, saying “it’s a necessity, not a luxury.” 

Sixth district board member Alfonso Bince Jr. said he and his fellow 14 board members and Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim expected that some quarters would initially raised a howl over the provision of a brand new white Ford Everest service vehicle for each of them.

Local radio stations have been barraged with text messages criticizing the vehicle purchase.

“Of course, initially, some would raise a howl against this but they must also understand our plight,” Bince said. 

Bince said they were thankful to Gov. Amado Espino Jr. for the vehicles, adding that in his more than 20 years in service as a board member, “this is the first time we were given a government-owned vehicle.”

He said this happened under the Espino administration because of “judicious management of funds.” The province’s budget for 2011 amounts to more than P1.8 billion. 

However, the board members would have to turn over the vehicles to their successors when their term ends.

Bince said the vehicles would carry a red license plate with the provincial seal and would be used for official purposes only with corresponding trip tickets when used outside Pangasinan.