OVER A DOZEN OF MISSING GOV’T VEHICLES TAKEN BACK BY ABRA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
BANGUED, Abra
The Abra provincial government took back over a dozen “unaccounted” vehicles, except one, since the May 12 National and Local Elections (NLE) ended last Monday. The missing vehicles and heavy equipment included a skid loader, an excavator, a dump truck, six SUV pick-ups, a van and two motorcycles. A still without plate number Toyota Hilux pick-up truck was earlier recovered in Pennarubia town apparently abandoned by a former provincial government executive assistant.
Abra Provincial General Services (APGS) Officer Cherish Lantano though revealed that an elite Toyota Hi Ace van remains missing. While one dressta crawler and one road roller are still not at the Equipment pool division of the provincial government, because they have been
rendered uncerviceable. “Di daw po kayang i transport sabi po ng head ng equipment pool division,” Lantano said. Relieved, PGSO motorpool chief Ubaldo Claustro, thanked for the efforts to seize back the provincial government vehicles issued and entrusted to them via Memorandum Receipts (MR), yet these were not used and went missing.
PGSO utility worker Hernando Verzola said, ‘good that the motorcycles were already recovered’. He bared that one of the motorcycles was issued to him but only saw it once and he was not able to use it. He also disclosed that he cannot utilize the motorcycle anyway as he did not know how to ride a motorcycle. Acting Abra Provincial Governor Russel Bragas narrated that upon his assumption as acting
governor last December 2024 from suspended governor Dominic Valera, an inventory of all provincial capitol properties was conducted and it was timed that the PGSO had its annual year-end inventory. ”Dun lumabas na ginagamit nila (Valera) at VG Joy (suspended Vice Gov. Joy Valera-Bernos) na personal mga service at equipment at ayaw isurrender despite repeated letters”.
Bragas said he could not institute any legal action then against those named in the MRs, so “pinagawa ko lang sila affidavits” to prove the properties were in the custody of the (Valeras). Then came the sightings and reports of these vehicles abandoned in various locations in Abra where houses of Valeras’ allies are located, the acting governor explained. These were even used during the campaign by unauthorized individuals also allied with the Valeras, Bragas added. The acting governor hopes that all the vehicles be recovered before his term ends (in June 30). He said “government properties should be used for what they are intended for”.
Bragas who took over as Abra acting Governor when the Father-Daughter tandem of Gov. Valera and Vice Gov. Joy Valera-Bernos were suspended for 18 months last year by Malacanang for abuse of authority, won the vice mayoral post in Danglas town.
Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN
