Disaster official denies scheme to lower ‘Yolanda’ death toll

Typhoon Yolanda survivors pass by hundreds of victims lying in body bags on the roadside until forensic experts can register and bury them in a mass grave outside of Tacloban, Philippines on Tuesday Nov. 19, 2013. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A ranking official of the government’s disaster agency offered his resignation, on Thursday, if it could be proven that the death toll from supertyphoon Yolanda has been manipulated to make it appear lower.

In a press conference, Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said he would give up his post if anyone could show that government ventured into an unscrupulous practice in assessing the storm’s physical impact on Eastern Visayas, particularly Tacloban City.

“If there is someone who could prove that the national leadership and us here at the operation center were not releasing the real data, any day, I am willing to resign as the executive director of the council and administrator of the OCD,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said he offered his resignation to show the “sincerity and truthfulness of what we are reporting.”

Speculations arose that the death toll from Yolanda has been manipulated because of the slow updating of data at the NDRRMC.

In addition, critics speculate that the figures are being kept low allegedly so as not to further embarrass President Aquino who, in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, dismissed earlier estimates that the fatalities could reach as high as 10,000.

But last week, Aquino conceded in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer that indeed, the number of dead was going up. He explained that his estimated 2,500 death toll was based on the initial report given to him.

As in previous disasters, journalists are able to get higher casualty count from the regional OCDs.

Del Rosario earlier explained that the NDRRMC would usually release lower figures because of the layers of reporting before the data could finally reache the national office in Camp Aguinaldo.

“What we are releasing are official (data). We are not hiding anything. And most especially, there is no order to lower the number of casualties,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said it would be “illogical” for the national leadership to make such a directive because the death toll could be “independently validated on the ground.”

In a separate press conference, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said it would be difficult to cover up actual data.

“How can it be toned down, there’s a (body) count certified by the mayor, the municipal health officer, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and the SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operative). You cannot hide it,” Gazmin said.

He also said there was no “confusion in the reporting of fatalities.”

“There is only a delay of reporting which to some is confusing. It seems there are other sectors that are impatient when it comes to getting updated reports,” Gazmin said.

However, Gazmin saw the need to fine tune the protocols being followed in counting the number of fatalities, especially so that those reported missing could have already been found and placed under the official list of fatalities.

Gazmin said the assessment of the impact of Yolanda, the strongest typhoon ever to hit land, would continue.

“We are in the phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction. We have to validate the data that’s why we have been going around… We are trying to validate all the numbers because it is important that we give accurate data for us to be able to plan accurately and effectively the cost of each project,” he said.

Gazmin had just returned from Palawan and Panay Island, which were also hit by Yolanda.

Told the neophyte Senator Nancy Binay pushed for a Senate investigation into the alleged sluggish government response in the aftermath of Yolanda, Gazmin said Binay “might change her attitude or perspective if we provide her with our report.”

Gazmin also told reporters that other people could be equating media publicity with a government official’s performance of his duties.

“Those who are writing about it, I think they are misinformed. They say that I wasn’t there. I think that’s their gauge of presence, facing the media. But you know I don’t like facing the media. But I gave the directions (on government action on the Yolanda aftermath),” he said.

Gazmin also downplayed the sudden pullout of the US military from Yolanda-stricken areas.

“Don’t take the pull out as a bad faith. No. They came here because their mission was emergency relief. That has been done. Now we are in the next phase, in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. So they have nothing to do anymore,” he said.