DILG chief stands by his ‘Aquino,’ ‘Romualdez’ remark

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines – Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II on Thursday stood by his controversial remark that President Benigno Aquino is an “Aquino” and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez is a “Romualdez.”

It was Quezon City Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte who confronted Roxas about his remark in the aftermath of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” during the hearing of the congressional oversight committee on the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act at the Senate.

“Kasi totoo po e,” said Roxas, when asked by Belmonte why he had to make such remark.

“At hindi po ba totoo na ang Romualdez ay Romualdez at ang Pangulo ay Aquino..?” he said.

Roxas, who was absent during the last hearing of the committee in December, took the opportunity to answer the issues raised against him by Romualdez, including a letter that he had allegedly wanted the mayor to sign a waiver before taking over Tacloban City, one of the areas devastated by the typhoon.

Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez. and Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II . NOY MORCOSO III/INQUIRER.net

Roxas said the letter came about after the local government failed to come up a quorum to approve an ordinance that would legalize the imposition of curfew when the incidents of looting and jailbreaks broke out in the city.

“Nang sinabi na hindi makabuo ng quorum, ay sinabi kong sulat na lang para man lang may pinanghahawakan ang mga pulis na hindi sila makakasuhan sakaling may arestuhin sila,” he said.

Roxas lamented that the criticisms were sometimes painful but said he would just leave it up to God.

Romualdez, who was also present in the hearing, was just listening to Roxas. And when it was his time to speak , the mayor repeated his own version of the situation in the city before the national government entered the picture.