After pilferage exposé: City stops fuel subsidy

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia yesterday ordered the suspension of the allocation of fuel subsidy to all City Hall and barangay vehicles, except for those being used for emergencies and crucial frontline services.

He made the decision following the alleged pilferage of fuel with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO) exposed by a few of its employees.

In a press conference yesterday, Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover said nine complainants, composed of present and former employees, came to his office to reveal the irregularities they knew in the said office.

Among those allegations was the theft of government-allocated fuel for personal use. The councilor presented during the press conference signed and notarized affidavits of the said employees.

An hour or so after, Garcia, in his regular press conference, announced that he was revoking the fuel subsidy for all government-issued vehicles, with the exemption of emergency vehicles like ambulances, firetrucks, police patrol cars, and even garbage trucks.

"I have already ordered the suspension of fuel allocation sa tanang government vehicles, except emergency vehicles — ambulances, fire trucks, including garbage trucks, police cars, tanan that has to do with emergency,” he told the press conference yesterday.

He, however, said that just like when he ordered the revocation of biometric exemption privileges, those who desired to continue enjoying them may apply again by writing a letter of justification for the granting of exemptions.

Garcia said it would now be up to the affected departments or offices when the suspension would last, as it would depend on how fast they could submit their letter-requests.

Aside from this, Garcia said that he would order an investigation on the matter, admitting that it was only yesterday (Monday) that he was informed of the issue.

“I will order an investigation, kaning ilang gi-alleged nga naay pagpangawat sa gasolina,” said Garcia.

He said the Human Resources Development Office and the Cebu City Legal Office will be on top of the investigation.

Aside from the pilferage of government fuel, among the employees’ complaints is the alleged taking of two months of their salaries by a team leader of the CCDRRMO cluster.

The Freeman is withholding the identities of the persons identified by the employees pending their side of the story.

“Kay dako kaayo ni’g budget atong CCDRRMO, pero kung mao nalang ni nga sige diay og pangawat og gasolina diha sa ilang opisina, unsa may mahitabo unya kung kinahanglan pag-ayo kining mga sakyanan?” Alcover warned.

He said he would wait for Garcia’s action on this, but he would not hesitate to file a resolution seeking an investigation to shed light on the matter, if it is not attended to.

According to Alcover, the CDRRMO is equipped with five percent of the total annual budget, establishing that it is important that such allegations will not be taken lightly.

“Pinakadako na nga budget sa city, maong concern kaayo ko ani. Dako man ning kwartaha,” he said.

Alcover encouraged all employees to come forward and manifest their complaints, as these would serve as a warning to those behind “corruption” in City Hall, adding that it is his advocacy to reduce such.

One employee narrated that their cluster head demanded to get two months of his salary as a job order employee when he finally received it after four months.

It was allegedly upon the orders of a superior for them to purchase a motor siren for the fire engine.

The employee said he refused, but was forced to give P12,000, or the equivalent of a one-month salary.

And in December 2022, when all JO personnel were given a P5,000 bonus, the same cluster head allegedly demanded to also get the amount.

“Ako na jud (ang) ni-dili kay nakabalo nako sa ilahang duwa gani…unya gamiton ang pangan ni sir (CCDRRMO Head) Harold (Alcontin). So, wala nalang gyud ko ni-bigay,” the employee said.

He further said that the same cluster head would badmouth them and would even transfer them to other units as punishment for refusing to give in to his bad intentions.

The same employee alleged it was the same cluster head who allegedly told them to pump unleaded and diesel fuel out from the fire trucks and transfer them to small containers that are then stored in their quarters.

He observed that the number of containers would then start dwindling because the same cluster head used the stored fuel for his vehicles and even handed them out to the others, including to him.

“Moangkon gyud ko, iya kong tunolan kay nitabang kuno ko’g suyop (pero) niana ko nga ‘Sir ___, dili lang ko kay basin maangin ko’. Ana siya, ‘Ayaw kabalaka diha’,” the employee said.

He said this criminal act became the cluster head’s routine since he started working at City Hall in March 2022 until up to the present.

“To be honest, dugay na gyud mi ganahan moistorya pero wala mi kabalo kinsa among duolan, kinsa among masaligan bahin ani. Pero pag-istorya sa usa ka kauban namo nga si Kap Ramil maoy mudala daw,” the employee said.

He was referring to Ramil Ayuman, a former CCDRRMO head who is currently with the Office of the Acting Mayor.

“So, nangutana man siya kung unsay mga anomaliya, so kami nalang ni-grab mis opportunity nga iistorya nalang tanan. Kay lisod man pod kaayo og magpadayon sila og ingon ana, (sa) gobiyerno man pod ta gatrabaho. So, dili pod na maayo,” the employee said. — Nicholas Jon Malaga CNU Intern (FREEMAN)