Prescribing the Guidelines on the use of Supreme Court Vehicles, Fuel Consumption, and Availment of Automotive Maintenance Services

September 6, 2004

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 58-04

PRESCRIBING THE GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF SUPREME COURT VEHICLES, FUEL CONSUMPTION, AND AVAILMENT OF AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICES

WHEREAS, Section 361, Chapter 4 (Use, Repair and Maintenance of Government Vehicles), Title 6, Book III, Volume I of the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual lays down the rules on the use of government vehicles and fuel consumption;

WHEREAS, it is noted that there has been a high rate of expenditures on fuel consumption of Supreme Court vehicles;

WHEREAS, the use of Supreme Court vehicles must be properly controlled and regulated, and fuel consumption in relation thereto must be properly monitored;

WHEREFORE, these guidelines on the use of Supreme Court vehicles, fuel consumption, and availment of maintenance service are hereby adopted:

SECTION 1. Coverage. — These guidelines shall apply to all vehicles of the Supreme Court, including those of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Office of the Court Administrator, the Philippine Judicial Academy, and the Judicial and Bar Council, except vehicles assigned to the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court.

SECTION 2. Guidelines. — The following guidelines shall be observed in the use of Supreme Court vehicles, as well as fuel consumption and availment of automotive maintenance services:

a. All Supreme Court vehicles shall be used for official purposes only. Unless properly and duly authorized, the use of said vehicles on Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, beyond the regular hours for going to and from the office, or outside the route of the officials or employees authorized to use them is strictly prohibited. DcSEHT

b. No Supreme Court vehicle shall be used for purely private social functions or for other personal purposes, or for the spouse, children, relatives, or friends of the official entitled thereto.

c. All Supreme Court vehicles assigned to offices and not to specific officials must be kept in the Court's compound except when in use for strictly official purposes.

d. Requests to use Supreme Court vehicles not assigned to officials of the Court shall be made by the Chief of Office or his authorized representative. The request shall be accomplished in the prescribed form (Annex "A"), stating therein the purpose of such travel. AaHDSI

d.1 The request shall be forwarded to the Motorpool Section, Property Division, Office of Administrative Services (OAS). The chief of the Motorpool Section shall order the driver of the requested vehicle to fill up properly all required information indicated under letter C of said form, such as the quantity of fuel to be purchased before travel and the quantity which was consumed after the use of said vehicle.

d.2 The chief of the Motorpool Section shall duly note in the said form the fuel issued, purchased or consumed and the balance of fuel in the tank at the end of the trip.

e. Requisitions for gasoline and diesel fuel (Annex "B-1") for the use of Supreme Court vehicles assigned to the Motorpool Section or other offices of the Court shall be duly accomplished by the Motorpool Supervisor and approved by the Chief Judicial Staff Officer of the Property Division or the duly authorized officials of the OAS. No requisition for gasoline or diesel shall be dispensed and paid by the Court unless there has been a prior approval.

f. In the case of officials assigned with official vehicles, a corresponding prepaid card will be issued for the purpose.

 The monthly maximum allowable quantity of fuel to be purchased by the Court for the said officials shall be equivalent to the amount of their monthly transportation allowance, which will be given in the form of prepaid cards. These cards will be distributed effective 1 October 2004. Any unused or unspent portion of the prepaid card shall be carried over to the succeeding month. In the event that the amount of the prepaid card has been consumed before the end of the month, all gasoline purchases will be charged against the account of the official concerned.

g. Gasoline expenses for official travels outside of Metro Manila may be reimbursed if the same is covered by a prior authority to travel approved by the Chief Justice.

h. Electrical, mechanical and other related services (Annex "C") necessary to maintain the roadworthiness of the Supreme Court vehicles, except those under warranty, should be done only by the duly accredited service station, subject to the required pre-repair inspection report duly approved by the Office of the Chief Justice (Annex "D").

i. Effective 1 October 2004, the authorized gasoline and service station of the Court shall be Shell, United Nations Avenue, Manila.

j. The chief of the Motorpool Section shall submit a monthly report of fuel consumption of all Court vehicles to the Commission on Audit, copy furnished the Office of the Chief Justice, Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chief of the Fiscal Management and Budget Office. The Motorpool Section shall maintain a file of all the requests for the use of Supreme Court vehicles and reports on fuel consumption and availment of automatic maintenance services. CIDTcH

SECTION 3. Applicability of the General Accounting and Auditing Manual. — Whenever applicable, the provisions of the General Accounting and Auditing Manual shall govern. EHTADa

SECTION 4. Implementing Office. — The OAS, through the Motorpool Section, Property Division, must ensure compliance with these Guidelines and other pertinent rules on the use of government vehicles and fuel consumption.

SECTION 5. Effectivity. — These guidelines shall take effect on the 1st day of October 2004.

Issued this 6th day of September 2004.

(SGD.) HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.Chief Justice