Wait, Why Was a Government Vehicle Parked Outside Pegasus? DILG Explains

(SPOT.ph) Of all the places to spot a government vehicle, Pegasus: The Ultimate Men's Club probably isn't the one you'd expect. So when a red-plated Toyota Innova was photographed outside the Quezon City establishment, people naturally had questions. Was someone on official business? Was there an inspection? Or was the government vehicle there for an entirely different kind of visit?

Well, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has an explanation—but it's not quite the scandal some might have imagined.

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In a statement, DILG-MIMAROPA confirmed that its regional office has an arrangement with the men's club allowing government vehicles to use part of its parking area during working hours.

The explanation came after a Toyota Innova bearing red plate number, indicating a government-registered vehicle, was spotted outside Pegasus along Quezon Avenue at around 10 a.m. on October 13. The image was shared on the Facebook page Parkeserye and eventually made its way to other social media platforms, where people questioned what a government vehicle was doing there.

As it turns out, the DILG regional office is practically next door.

DILG-MIMAROPA explained that it rents a private building at No. 822 Quezon Avenue, Barangay Paligsahan, right beside Pegasus. While the building has basement parking, the agency said it doesn't have enough space to accommodate its vehicles without creating logistical headaches.

With limited basement parking that made it difficult to move vehicles quickly for official duties, the agency needed somewhere else to put them during working hours.

They figured: why not ask the neighbors?

According to DILG-MIMAROPA, the arrangement was strictly about parking, not what goes on inside the establishment. It added that the arrangement was intended to avoid delays in public service, while reiterating that it does not tolerate violations of government regulations or ethical standards.

"Ang anumang pagpaparada ng sasakyan ng DILG sa parking area ng PEGASUS ay may lehitimong layunin at hindi dapat ipakahulugan bilang paggamit nito para sa pansariling kapakinabangan," the agency explained.

And in a sentence probably few expected to find in an official government statement, DILG-MIMAROPA thanked Pegasus for its generosity.

"Lubos ang aming pasasalamat sa pamunuan ng PEGASUS sa kanilang konsiderasyon at pakikipagtulungan sa aming tanggapan."

Although DILG-MIMAROPA appears satisfied with the parking setup, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla isn't quite ready to leave the matter there. He confirmed that the Toyota Innova was indeed a service vehicle assigned to DILG Region IV-B but said the department was investigating who was assigned to it and who was behind the wheel.

"It's the service vehicle of Region 4-B. We are currently investigating who it is assigned to and who the driver is," Remulla said in a Viber message, as reported by Bilyonaryo News Channel on October 18.

He also made it clear that he's not particularly happy with the office's current location: "This is the exact reason why I want that office moved. The DILG is renting that building."

The regional office is reportedly set to relocate to a new DILG main office in April. Until then, the agency may have to make do with its rather unconventional parking arrangement.

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