City gov’t implements 3 new ordinances

BY FELIPE V. CELINO

ROXAS City — The city government has started implementing three ordinances recently approved by the City Council.

Ordinances on tricycle number coding, spider gambling and texting while driving have been implemented since November 15, according to Councilor Powell del Rosario.

These ordinances were published in a local newspaper before implementation, said del Rosario, chair of the Committees on Police Matter and Rules and Ordinance.

The City Council approved the proposed “Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program/Number Coding Scheme,” “Game Spider Gambling, and the Collection, Sale and or Purchase of Game Spiders” and “Reading, Composing and Sending Electronic Messages, Receiving and Sending Calls While Driving,” during separate regular sessions last month.

The number coding scheme provides that passenger tricycles should not operate from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday except on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Tricycles with unit numbers ending in 1 and 2 cannot operate on Monday; 3 and 4 on Tuesday; 5 and 6 on Wednesday; 7 and 8 on Thursday; and 9 and 0 on Friday.

A dry run of the number coding system was conducted on July 12 by virtue of Mayor Angel Alan Celino’s Executive Order No. 1, series of 2010.

Positive responses from the public were acquired after the dry run as most of the roads here had less traffic, especially during peak hours.

On the other hand, devices banned while driving include: wireless telephones, two-way radios, walkie-talkies, pagers and beepers.

They are banned while driving or operating engine-driven vehicles, agricultural machineries, construction equipments, two-wheeled vehicles and other modes of transportation.

Exempted from the ban are law enforcement officers and operators of emergency vehicles who are on duty and acting in their official capacities.

Meanwhile, any individual caught violating the ordinance against spider gambling will be penalized with a fine of P200 for first offense, P500 for second offense and P700 for third offense.

In case of failu

 


COA: Discrepancies in rice purchase

BY FELIPE V. CELINO

ROXAS City — The Commission on Audit (COA) has noted discrepancies on the purchase of National Food Authority (NFA) rice by the city administration under then Mayor Vicente Bermejo, and “floating” City Social Welfare and Development Officer Cynthia Besana last year.

Clara D. Salame, COA audit team leader, informed Mayor Angel Alan Celino that the city government bought some 1,197 bags of NFA rice amounting to P1,496,250.

It was paid on January 15 this year, Salame said.

Document evaluation showed that based on the NFA billing statement, 30 of the 1,197 bags were delivered on December 18 last year while the rest were delivered on January 4 this year.

The billing statement, dated January 12, 2010, was signed by NFA Provincial Manager Procopio Trabajo.
This was contrary to Section 4 Vol. 1 of the Manual on the New Government Accounting System for Local Government Units, according to Salame.

It states that: “Liability shall be recognized at the time goods and services are accepted or rendered and supplier/creditor bills are received.”

The COA official asked Celino to comment on the observation within 72 hours “so I can incorporate them in my auditorial evaluation of the transaction.”

Earlier, Celino filed charges against Bermejo and Besana regarding the delivery of eight sacks of NFA rice to the Bermejo’s house in Brgy. Baybay in December last year./PN