Palo Archbishop John Du thought supertyphoon Yolanda would simply pass through Leyte and head out of the country as it made landfall last Friday.
“The typhoon was really very strong. It was so unusual. When it hit Palo, it was like the angel of death. It looked like a white smoke that went inside every room, destroyed the doors, blew the roofs off, and killed everyone,” he said.
Du said this as Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said martial law should be declared in Tacloban City to ensure peace and order there.
“A martial law can be done to establish order. There seems to be no system of distributing relief goods,” Vidal told reporters who visited him at his retirement home in barangay Banilad, Cebu City yesterday.
The cathedral in Palo, its convent and Du’s residence were among those badly damaged by the supertyphoon last Nov. 8.
The roof of the newly-renovated cathedral were gone while Du’s private chapel completely collapsed. Noel Adlai Velasco, a desk editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer who is from the town, said their family spent millions for the roof.
Unruly
Du came over to Cebu last Thursday and pleaded for help for his people who haven’t received a single package of relief goods yet.
The archbishop also sought the military’s help to maintain peace and order and supervise the distribution of relief goods in Palo.
Du said relief goods have yet to reach Palo and other towns.
“People will mob any vehicle they see bringing relief goods. People are becoming unruly. Some are bringing bolos and axes. They are hungry and all they are thinking is how to survive. That’s our situation there now,” Du said.
In a press conference at the Archbishop’s Residence yesterday morning, Du asked that donations be coursed through Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Ormoc City which is still under the Palo Archdiocese.
Ruined
Of the 76 churches in the Palo Archdiocese, only six remained intact. Palo is celebrating its 75th anniversary as an archdiocese. Its diamond jubilee celebration ends on Nov. 28.
Du said 500 people sought shelter at the cathedral and its convent at the height of supertyphoon Yolanda.
But since the structures were ruined, Du said they were staying in makeshift shanties and tents made of plastic sheeting and dilapidated roofs.
Regular Masses continue in all the churches in the archdiocese which includes Tacloban City.
Since they haven’t received any relief goods, Du said he decided to use the canned goods given to him by parishioners during his birthday last Oct. 18.
Survival
“The canned goods were supposed to be used for our feeding program. I have about 10 to 15 boxes so I used them so people will have something to eat,” Du said.
He said he also decided to slaughter some of the 450 chickens from his poultry so they could mix it with the lugaw or rice porridge.
“Just a little food for everybody to have something in their stomachs,” said Du, concurrent treasurer of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
While he saved some money, Du said they could not buy anything in Palo.
“Right now, we need food for survival. The reconstruction will come later,” he said.
Communication
Du said they decided to have mass graves in front of the churches.
But he said they still need the military’s help in burying the dead bodies.
“The people don’t know what to do. At one point, I told them let’s help take those dead bodies. But they just stared at me and that’s it. I pity them,” Du said.
“Communication is really a problem in Palo. If we could only communicate with each other, I think it would be a big help,” he said.
Political color
Vidal expressed dismay over the government’s response to deliver assistance to typhoon victims. Vidal urged government leaders to set aside politics especially in moments of calamities.
“Sometimes, you know there is some political color and if you don’t belong to the same political side, you will be deprived of the relief goods. That is unfortunate. They should remember that we are dealing with hungry and thirsty people,” he said. With Correspondent Jose Santino S. Bunachita