FOURTEENTH CONGRESS of the 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by HON. RAMON BONG REVILEA, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is enshrined in our Constitution that the State shall adopt an integrated 
and comprehensive approach to health development, which shall endeavor to 
make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at 
affordable cost. It shall prioritize the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, 
disabled, women and children and to provide free medical care to paupers. 
In line with ths mandate, the present government undertakes to upgrade its 
hospitals, open accessibility to health services, promote proper health-related 
consciousness programs, acquire state-of-art medical equipment, and provide a 
number of ambulances for the cominwity. 
It is a common knowledge that ambulance is primarily intended to transport 
seriously sick, injmed patients or in emergencies requiring immediate medical 
treatment to and from a medical institution. However, it is observed that 
government ambulances are often seen in other places being used for other 
activities other than of which it is intended. By doing so, the public is deprived of 
the immediate medical attention especially in emergency cases. 
The purpose of this proposed measure is to prevent abuses in the use of 
government ambulances and to save IiEe as well. 
In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
NG REQILLA, 9R. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS of the 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by HON. RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR. 
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 the Philippines 
in Congress assenzhled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby a declared policy ofthe 
State that it shall endeavor to provide health and other social services available to 
all people for free or at an affordable cost. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following 
terms shall mean: 
(a) Government ambulance - refers to a vehicle equipped with emergency life- 
saving devices and equipment and properly designated as such, use to carry or 
transport seriously sick or injured persons or patients in emergency situations 
requiring immediate .medical treatment to a medical facility or from one 
medical facility to another; or for diagnostic or therapeutic treatment where, 
by the nature of the patient's sickness or injury, conveyance by ambulance is 
necessary. These vehicles are acquired using government funds or donated for 
government use, regardless of its source. 
(b) Emergency - refers to a condition or state of patient wherein based on the 
objective findings of a prudent medical officer on duty for the day, there is 
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immediate danger on the life of the patient where delay in initial support and 
treatment may cause loss of life or permanent disability to the patient. 
SECTION 3. Custody of government ambulances assigned or donated 
to local government units. - Any government ambulance assigned or donated to 
local government units shall be under the custody of the local chief executive or 
in his absence, the health officer concerned as his authorized representative. 
Upon the end of the local chief executive's term of office or in case he is 
disqualified or removed from office for whatever cause, he shall turn over the 
custody of the ambulance to the proper authority within fifteen days from his last 
day in office. 
SECTION 4. Duties of the local chief executive - (a) It shall he the duty 
of any local chief executive having temporary custody of any government 
ambulance, donated or otherwise, to deliver or cause the delivery of the same to 
the intended beneficiary without unnecessary delay. 
(b) It shall also he the duty of the local chief executive assigned with any 
government ambulance to appoint at least one regular driver for each ambulance 
and ensure that a sufficient amount for gasoline and the maintenance of their 
ambulance is appropriated every year. 
SECTION 5. Prohibited Aet5. - The following acts are hereby 
prohibited: 
(a) It shall be unlawhl 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 unlawkl for any public oficial or employee to use any 
government ambulance in the transportation of patients not in emergency situation 
unless another ambulance is available to respond to any emergency; or when no 
other means of transportation is available which non-availability is jointly 
certified under oath by the patient or any of their relatives or guardians and the 
responsible officer in charge of the ambulance other than the driver; or when the 
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nature of the patient's 'sickness or injury, though not life threatening, makes 
necessary hidher transportation by ambulance; 
(c) It shall be unlawhl for any public officer or employee to allow the use 
of any government ambulance by individuals or entities for private use, for a fee 
or not; 
(d) It shall be unlawful for any public officer or employee to refuse the 
use of any government ambulance by any patient entitled to the use of the same as 
provided in this Act 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; 
(e) It shall be unlawhl for any public officer or employee to paint over or 
allow the painting over of any government ambulance to circumvent the 
provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 6. Exceptions to the prohibited acts. - The provisions of 
Section 5 notwithstanding, the following use of any government ambulance in 
non-emergency cases may be allowed: 
(a) Medical outreach missions; and 
(b) Other related hospital operations 
SECTION 7. Penalty Clause. - Violations of second paragraph of 
Section 3 hereof shall be punished by a fine ofTen Thousand Pesos (Pl0,OOO.OO) 
only. 
Moreover, violations of Section 4 and any of the prohibited acts 
enumerated in Section 5 hereof shall be penalized by suspension from office for 
ten days for the first offense; suspension for one (1) month for the second offense; 
and suspension for six (6) months and a fine of FiRy Thousand Pesos 
(P50,OOO.OO) only for the third offense. 
If the violation of any of the prohibited acts be committed with the 
knowledge or participation of the local chief executive and/or the responsible 
health officer in case of local government units or the head of hospital in case of 
3 


government hospitals, the said officials shall also he penalized with the same 
penalty provided in this Act. 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Reguiations. - The Secretary of 
the Department of the Interior and Local Government, in consultation with the 
Secretaries of the Department of Health and the Department of Transportation and 
Communications and concerned sectors shall issue such guidelines, orders or 
rules and regulations as may he necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 9. 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 he affected by such declaration. 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, decrees, 
proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen 
(15) days following the completion of its publication in the Ofsl’cinl Gazette, or in 
a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. 
Approved, 
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