The Cebu City Government, through the Department of General Services (DGS), has launched a formal investigation into an ambulance assigned to Barangay Apas that has been unaccounted for since 2020. The vehicle was flagged as “not found” during a recent inventory, prompting officials to issue a demand letter to barangay leaders.
Demand Letter Issued
On March 25, 2026, the DGS sent a demand letter to Barangay Apas Captain Virgil Cabigon, requesting the immediate location of the Toyota Hiace ambulance with plate number SKN 554. The vehicle is listed under barangay accountability through a Property Acknowledgment Receipt. The directive cites COA Circular 2020-006, which mandates strict documentation and physical inventory of government assets.
A follow-up letter dated April 15 noted that while the DGS received verbal information that the ambulance had been taken to a Toyota service center for repair, no formal documents, transfer records, or updated custody reports were submitted. During the inventory, the unit was declared “not found.”
Fatal Accident Allegations
The issue surfaced after former Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman raised concerns about the prolonged absence of the ambulance. Ayuman claimed to have known about the vehicle’s history, including its alleged involvement in a fatal road incident in 2020 that killed a security guard. After the incident, the ambulance was reportedly sent for repair but never returned.
“I’ve known about this for a long time, since 2020. After the first incident where someone died, it was reportedly brought to Toyota for repairs, but it was never returned,” Ayuman said. He formally raised the matter with the DGS on April 8, requesting verification of the ambulance’s status, which prompted the official inventory check and demand letter.
Barangay Captain’s Response
Cabigon, however, maintained that the ambulance is not missing and remains in a private repair facility. He said the unit is currently at a Toyota facility, possibly in Mandaue City, after sustaining major damage during the pandemic.
“It happened during the pandemic so it wasn’t fixed. The front part was a total wreck. It’s there. It never went missing,” Cabigon said. He added that he had previously submitted a memorandum to the DGS regarding the unit’s condition.
Cabigon acknowledged that the ambulance has not been retrieved due to its condition and financial constraints. He noted that accumulated storage and repair costs have become a major concern, with storage fees alone reaching nearly half a million pesos, excluding repair costs. The barangay has communicated with Toyota about the escalating costs but has not been able to settle the fees due to budget limitations.
“If we have the funds, we’ll pull it out. But right now, we don’t,” he said.
Accountability Concerns
Ayuman questioned why the unit remained in storage for nearly six years without retrieval or proper reporting. He said the situation raises accountability concerns, especially since the ambulance is a government-donated asset.
“Who will pay for the storage fee? That must be a substantial amount,” Ayuman said, noting that the ambulance was donated by the Cebu City Government to Barangay Apas around 2018 during the administration of then-mayor Tomas Osmeña. Once transferred, responsibility for custody and maintenance rests with the barangay.
Cabigon confirmed that Barangay Apas currently has limited emergency vehicles. In 2024, two additional units were acquired through assistance from city officials; however, one of the newer units was later involved in another fatal incident on April 19 and is under investigation. This leaves Barangay Apas with only one operational ambulance.
