By: Jose Bimbo F. Santos, InterAksyon.com
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
TACLOBAN CITY -- Who is telling the truth? With a number of typhoon Yolanda survivors in Tacloban complaining about the national government's slow response to their needs a year after the storm hit, rehabilitation secretary Panfilo Lacson said Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez has actually been refusing to cooperate. Romualdez, however, said that the national government in fact did not support them.
"I'd like to share with you my sentiments about Tacloban City," Lacson said in his brief remarks during the opening here of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, an agency he heads tasked with coordinating various efforts in Yolanda rehabilitation. "I’m wondering why in the nearby municipalities, there are no issues involved. But in Tacloban, we are facing so many challenges."
Thousands of Yolanda survivors belonging to the People Surge movement staged a two-day demonstration starting last Friday to vent their anger over alleged neglect on the part of the government. Lacson, however, noted that "it's only here in Tacloban that I've seen and encountered sooo many challenges."
"A handshake that is half-meant can reach but halfway. We want to extend again our handshake to the mayor here, but if he refuses to meet the handshake then we are only good halfway," Lacson said.
Color-blind
In an interview after his remarks, Lacson urged Romualdez to just cooperate.
"Ang sinasabi ko kay (What I tell) Mayor Romualdez, it's about time we work together because we are not thinking or ourselves here. We are thinking of the survivors," Lacson told InterAksyon.com.
Lacson also said that "right after" he was appointed as rehab czar in December last year, he immediately went to Tacloban to assure Romualdez that he is "color-blind" to politics.
The Romualdez clan is a known rival of the Aquinos. After the typhoon, a video recording of Interior secretary Mar Roxas surfaced online where he told Romualdez in a crisis meeting days after Yolanda, "You have to remember, we have to be very careful because you are a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino." Roxas allegedly made the statement after Romualdez questioned his request to have a written ordinance asking the national government to take over relief and rescue operations.
Roxas said the video recording is malicious and spliced.
Lacson’s story
Pressed to provide an example of how Romualdez is making it hard for the national government to help them, Lacson cited an alleged incident last January.
"Last January he came to see me, seeking my help to intercede with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management)," Lacson said.
According to Lacson, Romualdez wants the DBM to have three months’ worth of Tacloban's Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) advanced to help sustain the operations of the local government.
"So right from that meeting place, I rushed to DBM and talked with Secretary Abad," Lacson said, adding that he rushed so fast he even beat a few red lights in Metro Manila.
Abad agreed, according to Lacson, and even offered to advance up to six months’ worth of IRA. But when he came back to Romualdez about the development, Lacson said Romualdez rejected the deal.
"When I came back to him and told him of the good news, it did not sound like good news to him," Lacson said. "I could not find an explanation why because he sounded so frantic."
Asked if the alleged offer by the DBM had any caveats, Lacson said there was none.
Romualdez’s story
Sought for comment, Romualdez said he did not ever ask to advance his IRA and that it was in fact Lacson who offered the deal to him.
"No, no, no," Romualdez told InterAksyon.com. "He offered to me na i-advance 'yung IRA and I turned him down."
Romualdez said advancing his IRA was tantamount to bale or cash advance, which was not what they needed.
"The city does not need to make bale pera (advance money). What we need is assistance, hindi bale (not advance)," Romualdez said. "I'm a mayor. I'm not stupid. I don't make bale."
Romualdez added advancing his IRA may lead the city toward bankruptcy.
"If you make bale, that means you'll get all your money for six months and which we'll spend for one or two months. So on the third month, we have no more money. So what, I'll close down city hall because we're bankrupt?" Romualdez said. "Pagdating sa tulong, tutulungan kami five months later tapos ‘yung mga iba binibigyan niyo ng dole-out tapos sa amin bibigyan niyo kami IRA. Ano ba naman yan (When it comes to help, you help us for five months, give others dole-out, then we will be given IRA. What’s that)?"
For Romualdez, the apparent slight from the national government seems but a continuation of what happened days after Yolanda hit.
"Wag nating kalimutan na kami lang hiningan ng sulat noong humihingi kami ng tulong (Let’s not forget that we were the only ones who were asked to have a letter when we asked for help)," Romualdez said.
"Di ba sinabihan pa kami, 'bahala kayo sa buhay niyo' (Weren’t we told, ‘your life is up to you’)," Romualdez said, referring to a statement made by Roxas from the recorded meeting.
Though fairly recovering in some communities, a number of residents in Tacloban are still struggling to survive a year after Yolanda, with thousands of families still living in bunkhouses, temporary shelters, and tents.
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