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 r>-, .,-,r. 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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(In substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 338 & 616 and House Bill No. 1773) 
Prepared jointly by the Committees on Health and Demography; and Civil Service and 
Government Reorganization; with Senators Osmefia, War, Cayetano and Lacson as 
authors 
AN ACT REGULATING 
THE USE OF GOVERNMENT AMBULANCES, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of fhe Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Definition. As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean as 
follows: 
(a) Emergency refers to a condition or state of a patient where there is immediate 
danger on the life or health of the patient and where delay in initial support and 
treatment may cause loss of life or serious disability to the patient; or where 
conveyance of a patient to a hospital for diagnostic or therapeutic treatment is 
necessary considering the nature of the patient's injury or sickness. 
(b) Government Ambulance refers to a vehicle fully or partially equipped with 
Emergency life-saving devices and equipment intended to carry or transport 
seriously sick or injured persons or patients in Emergency situations. These are 
acquired using government funds or donated for government use, regardless of 
source. 
(c) LCE refers to the Local Chief Executive. 
SECTION 2. Responsibility and Custody Over Government Ambulances 
Assigned or Donated To Local Government Units (LGUs)- Any Government 
Ambulance acquired by or donated to LGUs shall be under the responsibility of the 
LCE concerned, Provided, that the LCE shall authorize the local health officer 
concerned to have custody over the Government Ambulance and shall not in any way 


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interfere with the use of the Government Ambulance except to order its use in an 
Emergency situation. 
Upon the end of the LCE’s term of office or in case he is disqualified or removed 
from office for whatever cause, he shall turn over the responsibility of the Government 
Ambulance to the incoming LCE or the person next in rank by rule of succession in the 
Local Government Code within fifteen (15) days from his last day in office. 
SECTION 3. Duties of LCEs and Local Health Officers. - 
(a) It shall be the duty of any LCE to ensure that the Government Ambulance is 
at the full disposal of the health officer for any Emergency. 
(b) It shall be the duty of the LCE to ensure the inclusion of an appropriation for 
the salary of a regular driver for every Government Ambulance and the 
provision for tbe maintenance of each Government Ambulance in its annual 
budget. 
(c) It shall be the duty of the local health officer concerned to ensure the 
availability of the Government Ambulance for the immediate use of the 
residents of the LGUs who are in an Emergency situation. 
SECTION 4. Prohibited Ads. - A Government Ambulance should be used only 
for Emergency cases, Provided, that the following use of any Government Ambulance in 
non-Emergency cases may be allowed: (a) medical outreach missions; and (b) other 
related hospital operations, Provided further, that such use will not interfere with the 
regular use of the Government Ambulance for Emergency cases and that the use of the 
Government Ambulance for Emergency cases should, at all times, prevail even if the 
Government Ambulance is being used in a non-Emergency situation. 
The following acts are prohibited: 
(a) It shall be unlawful for any public official or employee to use any 
Government Ambulance as office service vehicle for recreation or for 
personal use or for any other purpose whatsoever, inconsistent with the 
purposes of a Government Ambulance as defined in Section 1 of this Act; 
(b) It shall be unlawful for any public official or employee to use any 
Government Ambulance in the transportation of patients not in Emergency 
situation unless there is another Government Ambulance available to 
respond to any Emergency or when no other means of transportation is 
available; 
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It shall be unlawful for any public officer or employee to allow the use of any 
Government Ambulance by individuals or entities for any use other than in 
an Emergency, whether or not for a fee; 
It shall be unlawful for any public officer or employee to refuse the use of 
any Government Ambulance for any patient entitled to its use due to the 
patient‘s inability to pay any fee collected for its use; or discriminate in its 
use on account of religious beliefs, gender, economic status, political 
affiliations or whatever cause contrary to law, public policy or good customs; 
It shall be unlawful for any public officer or employee to paint over or allow 
the painting over or in any other way, alter the appearance of any 
Government Ambulance to circumvent the provisions of this Act; and 
It shall be unlawful to use deceptive measures such as sirens or the printing 
of the word “Ambulance” on the vehicle’s body of any privately-owned or 
government-owned vehicle to make it appear as a Government Ambulance 
when it is not. 
SECTION 5. Penalty Clause -Violations of Section 2, paragraph 2 and Sections 
3 and 4 hereof shall be penalized by: 
(a) Fine in an amount not exceeding six months’ salary for the first offense; 
(b) Suspension from office without pay for not more than one year for the 
second offense; and 
(c) Termination from service with forfeiture of retirement benefits and 
disqualification from public service for the third offense. 
SECTION 6. lmplementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the 
Department of Interior and Local Government, in consultation with the Secretaries of the 
Departments of Health and Transportation and Communications, and concerned 
sectors shall issue such guidelines, orders or rules and regulations as may be 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the application 
of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared unconstitutional, the 
remainder of this Act or the application of such provision to other persons or 
circumstances shall not be affected by such declaration. 
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Approved, 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, decrees, proclamations, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed on modified accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) 
days following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper 
of general circulation in the Philippines. 
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