On orders of Gov. Roel Degamo, Board Member Erwin Michael Macias returned his Strada service vehicle on April 6, and other members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental are expected to follow.

Macias said that after Degamo ordered the cancellation of the memorandum receipt for his service vehicle, he immediately returned it.

But he is still requesting the governor to re-issue the vehicle because he still has projects to monitor in his district.

Only Macias and First District BM Liland Estacion stood pat on their decision not to override the vetoed items of Degamo, on the allocation of the Special Purpose Fund of P18 million in the 2015 budget.

The vehicles were purchased during the time of former Gov. Agustin Perdices, with funds from the Office of the Governor, to be used in monitoring projects identified by the SP members.

Provincial Legal officer Richard Inojo said Degamo had realized that board members who voted to override his veto no longer have projects to monitor, so they do not need the vehicles anymore.

He added that the governor wanted to be fair to all the board members, in also directing both Macias and Estacion to return their vehicles. The first to receive the order to return her car was BM Jessica Villanueva but she has not done so until today.*JG

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