Politics like ‘Yolanda,’ says running priest

Fr. Robert Reyes: humanity should take the upper hand. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

SAN PEDRO, Laguna—Before heading back to storm-battered Tacloban City, activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes on Monday led another advocacy run, this time to raise funds for the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

After the run, Reyes, who was nursing a sore throat, appealed to government officials to forego “petty partisan politics” in times of disaster.

In a series of text messages to the Inquirer he said, “A worse form of Yolanda is national versus local politics. In times of profound misery, our common humanity should take the upper hand. All else is insensitive and egoistic.”

Reyes was joined in the 12-km run from the University of the Philippines Los Baños to the Calamba City Hall by around 30 professional and hobby runners.

The participants carried donation bags while some held up a placard that said “Run to Overcome, Piso at Pawis para sa mga Nasalanta ng Yolanda” (…a Peso and Sweat for the Victims of Yolanda).

Nick Gandeza, coach of the Laguna de Bay Running Team, said they raised P6,242, which Reyes will take to the typhoon victims when he returns to Leyte on Thursday.

“Leaders should overcome these political differences. Stop the blame game and just work together,” Reyes said.—Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon

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