Government officials and employees who use government vehicles for non-official purposes may face sanctions, Malacañang warned yesterday.

The warnings were issued in the light of Malacañang's revival of its energy conservation program.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who heads a presidential task force on energy, also urged the public to report the "excessive and abusive use of government vehicles" amid rising fuel and food prices.

Ermita said he has issued warnings to various agencies through the Cabinet members to "strictly supervise the use of government vehicles" especially those with government plates.

He said they've been receiving reports of government officials abusing the use of government vehicles.

"The people can report to Action Center here in Malacañang," said Ermita, adding they would give out the hotlines on where to call.

He also urged public officials to lessen their vehicle "escorts" to save on gas and to avert public anger over the long security convoys.

"Our battle cry should always be conservation and I hope this will this will sink in," he said.

In May, Ermita announced that Cabinet officials would soon be shedding their gas guzzlers and set the example on energy conversation to jumpstart a government program that will save the country as much as P1.4 billion a year on fuel expenses alone.

Based on records from the Land Transportation Office, there are about 4,211,932 gasoline-driven vehicles and 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles in the country, Ermita added.

For the government's 80,000 vehicles, one-liter reduction in fuel consumption would translate to a daily savings of P4 million, P120 million a month, or P1.44 billion a year.