Another crooked turn in “daang matuwid”

ON DISTANT SHORE
By Val G. Abelgas

Dinky Soliman and President Aquino

Amid findings by the Commission on Audit that close to P2.8 million worth of relief for survivors of typhoon Yolanda were lost to spoilage and that P58 million worth of other supplies were spoiled or wasted due to improper storage, the Palace – true to its customary reactions – said President Aquino won’t fire DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman because “the President continues to trust Secretary Soliman because of her dedication and work ethics.”

In the twisted set of standards of Malacanang, incompetence and negligence don’t seem to count as criteria for dismissal. So, despite the COA’s findings of obvious negligence and incompetence in the handling of relief distribution in the typhoon-ravaged areas by the Soliman-led DSWD, the Palace is, in effect, even complimenting Soliman for her “dedication and work ethics.”

I don’t know how the DSWD could have bungled the handling of the relief goods if indeed she had shown exemplary “dedication and work ethics.” It’s difficult to explain how with her “dedication and work ethics,” typhoon survivors continue to live in extreme deprivation in tents and other makeshift shelters 10 months after the disaster. Or why P69.2 million worth of bottled water is missing and why 128,000 tins of sardines have not been distributed 10 months after the disaster.

But those are not the only issues Soliman has to explain when the House committee on social services starts investigating the DSWD on the adverse findings of the COA. For example, the COA also reported that cash donations from local and foreign aid remain concentrated in the account of DSWD.

According to the audit team, out of the P740,177,751.52 the DSWD received, only P3.88 million was disbursed, leaving a huge balance of almost P737 million unspent.

“Any reasonable person will be enraged by the fact that our countrymen in Eastern Visayas are going hungry while millions worth of relief goods just rot in DSWD’s storehouses. While many typhoon victims have yet to recover from the disaster, now we find out that DSWD is withholding even the release of cash donations both from domestic and international sources,” said Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who has been very active lately in scrutinizing government fund disbursements.

The DSWD also has to account for 135,540 items in assorted supplies, including 1,000 sacks of rice, that are unaccounted for, according to COA. In addition, P58.8 million worth of rice could not be verified with purchase records, the COA said.

“The distribution of relief goods is dismal and now we have missing donations. How can these donors trust us when another calamity – God forbid – comes?” Ridon asked.

In addition to these findings, Ridon and Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, are claiming that the national government actually did not release a single centavo for victims of typhoon Yolanda because Soliman resorted to “double accounting” and claimed credit for P779 million in foreign donations released by the World Food Programme (WFP).

De la Cruz and Ridon demanded that Soliman reveal exactly how much in government funds had been released following the COA report that the DSWD had funds sitting idly in its bank accounts.

Why hasn’t the DSWD released the funds that are intended for the typhoon victims? Are they waiting for a few months before the campaign season starts before releasing the funds? Or will the funds be declared as savings and diverted later to some DAP-like program for distribution to administration allies in time for the election or to ensure cha-cha in case Aquino decides he wants a second term?

Another party-list congressman – thank God for party lists – Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap, said that according to the COA report, four other government agencies are holding on to a total of P1.58 in local and foreign cash donations “that are sitting in bank accounts instead of being distributed to the very people for whom the funds were donated.”

The COA report identified the other agencies as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, P620.39 million; Department of Public Works and Highways, P121.35 million; Department of Health, P67.98 million; and the Department of Interior and Local Government, P52.92 million. In the case of the DSWD, Hicap said, the donated funds even became “cash on hand” which the department can use for other purposes.
The findings come amid daily protests by victims of typhoon Yolanda that the national government has failed to help them recover from the ravages of the super howler. In a town in Cebu, for example, the survivors are still living in tents 10 months after the disaster. And the tents were not even provided by the DSWD, but by non-government organizations and private donors!

So what has the DSWD done for the typhoon victims? What has it done with all the funds that came to its hands? How will it explain that while the typhoon victims that are supposed to be recipients of these funds continue to suffer from lack of food, water, shelter and other basic necessities, hundreds of millions are sitting idly in its bank accounts and millions of pesos worth of food and supplies are either missing, spoiled, or left idly in its warehouses?

And amid all these, Soliman continues to hold the trust of President Aquino? Why has it become a habit for Aquino to defend and keep Cabinet officials who have been accused of gross incompetence or corruption, such as Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Transportation Secretary Emilio Abaya, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla and Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes?

The “daang matuwid’ has made so many crooked turns, it makes one wonder where it would lead the country to.

(valabelgas@aol.com)