‘Stop playing the victim’
Makati exec tells Taguig counterpart Certeza called out Taguig officials for making hasty pronouncements allegedly intended to put Makati in a bad light.
The Makati City local government recalled the ambulance previously assigned to Barangay Comembo in compliance with the deed of donation executed by the Department of Health with the city in 2021.
City administrator Claro Certeza made the clarification in reaction to a recent social media post of Taguig City that accused Makati of “summarily pulling out the ambulance.”
“We did it to make the necessary repairs and ensure its roadworthiness before we return it to the Department of Health, as stipulated in the deed of donation,” Certeza said.
The ambulance, according to the official, was donated by the DoH to the city government of Makati and not to Barangay Comembo, under its Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
He said that as early as August 2023, the city conducted a general inspection of the ambulance in Comembo (K1V 502 Hyundai Starex Grand 2) and promptly coordinated with the DoH HFEP supplier for needed repairs as it was still under warranty.
“Taguig officials quoted in the said post appear to be clueless about the facts pertaining to the acquisition of the said ambulance. It was donated to the city government, so the rightful owner is Makati City,” Certeza said.
He also called out Taguig officials for making hasty pronouncements allegedly intended to put Makati in a bad light.
“Obviously, your attacks against Makati are meant to conceal the insufficiency of Taguig’s services for the Embos,” Certeza said.
“Please stop spreading lies and playing the victim. Be sure to back your statements with concrete evidence to spare yourselves from embarrassment and ridicule,” he added.
The Makati official clarified that the city cannot directly hand over to Taguig the vehicle since it has to be returned first to the DoH with a formal Notice of Revocation.
By virtue of the Supreme Court decision granting territorial jurisdiction over the Embo barangays to Taguig, the ambulance has ceased to serve its purpose as far as Makati is concerned, he said.
Certeza explained that throughout January until early February this year, the city government has been in constant communication with the DoH for the orderly return of the transport vehicle from Comembo.
In a letter to Makati Mayor Abby Binay dated 5 February 2023, Dr. Rio Magpantay, director of the Metro Manila Center for Health Development, cited the stipulation in the DoH Deed of Donation, which states:
“The donor reserves the right to revoke this deed of donation in case any of the aforesaid conditions are not faithfully complied with by the donee. In case this deed of donation is revoked, the donee shall surrender the possession of the equipment and ambulance to the donor within fifteen (15) working days from the Notice of Revocation.”
On 29 November 2023, the ambulance in Comembo was pulled out for battery replacement and then underwent a series of repair works until January of this year.
These included tire change, change oil and repairs for the blinker, siren, odometer and speedometer, brake system, and rear back-up camera.
Certeza noted that another ambulance deployed to Comembo was pulled out temporarily last 24 January for inventory and licensing purposes.
It was one of four ambulances donated by the DoH to the city government through Ospital ng Makati in July 2021 as part of the fund allocation of second district Representative Luis Campos. Another ambulance was assigned to Rizal.
“After inspection and proper review of the said unit, it was returned to Comembo on 8 February, and has remained deployed there to date,” Certeza said.
On the other hand, he said the city has reassigned the ambulance from Rizal to Guadalupe Nuevo since the former is very near Ospital ng Makati and can utilize the ambulance in Comembo for medical emergencies.
“This decision was made out of necessity and prudence. Politics had nothing to do with it,” he said.