In his annual report for the year ended March 2008, he said that the issue has been "of constant concern to me. It is gratifying to note that the number of accidents has greatly reduced in the year of account, although the monetary value remained high. Although surcharges may be imposed on negligent drivers, the greater portion has always remained borne by the public, revenue," he notes in the report.
He says that in the last financial year ended March 2008, government motor vehicles were involved in 598 accidents with a damage cost of P5,561,739. Out of the number, explains the auditor general, 195 cases were finalised with surcharges amounting to P578,444 and "P1,232,579 by write-off to public funds. The balance of 403 with a damage cost of P3,750,717 were still pending at the end of the year. Surprisingly enough, with this number of accidents, there was no indication that there were any which were attributable to third party motorists from whom compensation was recovered or recoverable," he says.
