Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim the other week asked Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Director Ma. Louisella Lucino to act on the tarpaulins put up by Rep. Rene Relampagos in different parts of the province. In his letter dated March 15, the city mayor referred to DILG Circular No. 2010 dated Sept. 23, 2010 issued by Secretary Jesse Robredo. “I am referring to at least two tarpaulin billboards of Cong. Rene Lopez Relampagos erected on two government projects being undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways specifically the Bateria Bridge Repair in Tubigon town and the riprap project in the town of Cortes,” he added. Lim said that notwithstanding the text of the billboards, “nobody will miss the fact that this is a cheap attempt to circumvent” the DILG circular.

“To make matters worse, Cong Relampagos gives the impression that the erection of the tarpaulin billboard enjoys the blessings of His Excellency, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, which I doubt,” the mayor added. Lim said he brought the matter to Lucino’s attention “so you can make your own position on this: whether it is justified, or whether it violates the above-mentioned DILG Circular,” he pointed out. The mayor said he is concerned that the government is giving mixed signals to the people because while the DILG Circular is explicit in its intention, these two billboards convey at least a gray area that allows for circumvention, or a violation that has not been acted upon. Robredo’s Memo Circular 2010-101 said the practice of putting up billboards or signages bearing the names, initials and images of government officials on government programs and projects has been noticeably abused and misused by some public officials for their personal interests and has taken the credit away from the taxpayers who are the ones paying for such programs and projects through their tax payment.

In pursuit of the President’s directive issued during the 4 th Cabinet meeting held on Aug. 5, 2010 where he directed all members of the Cabinet and other government instrumentalities to refrain from associating the President’s personality and identity in their programs and projects, and pursuant to the DILG’s thrust to uphold good local governance, Robredo said the practice of putting up billboards and signages and other information materials bearing the names, initials or pictures of government projects, and government properties such as firetrucks, ambulances, vehicles and others “are hereby prohibited”. Robredo directed all local chief executives to revisit all government projects and properties “to ensure that this policy is strictly observed”. The memo circular said information on government projects “should be limited to the name of the project and location, contractor, the date when it started and the project’s completion date”.