Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Tuesday said it has yet to receive word on the supposed plan of Panfilo Lacson, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR), to resign.
“Hindi pa po tayo nakakakuha ng opisyal na kompirmasyon hinggil sa mga ulat na iyan,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing.
(We have yet to receive official confirmation of that report.)
Lacson, during a radio interview on Sunday, said he was ready to resign after accomplishing what he was tasked to do, which was to finish a rehabilitation plan for areas devastated by Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” He said his office has no power to implement projects only to serve as an oversight body.
But Coloma said what’s important was that a Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) has already been submitted by Lacson.
“Nasaksihan naman natin iyong pag-turn over ng walong volumes na mahigit sa walong libong pahina na detalyadong pag-uulat dahil ito ay nakabatay sa Post-Disaster Needs Assessment na isinagawa at nakumpleto na ng mga local government units,” he said.
(We’ve witnessed the turn-over of the eight volumes of more than 8,000 pages of detailed reports based on the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment implemented and completed by local government units.)
Coloma also said that based on what he understood from the radio interview, Lacson had indicated that he had finished what was needed and that the plans could then be implemented by other government agencies.
“Hintayin na lang po natin ang iba pang mga kaganapan hinggil dito dahil…Tiyak naman po na magkakaroon ng pag-uusap si Secretary Lacson at si Pangulong Aquino hinggil dito,” he said.
(Let’s just wait for what happens next because…surely Secretary Lacson and President Benigno Aquino III will discuss the issue.)
Meantime, Coloma said Lacson would continue his work as PARR.
.“Wala pong pagtigil o wala pong interruption sa tuloy-tuloy na pagsasagawa ng programa sa rehabilitasyon dahil nakasalalay dito ang kapakanan at kabutihan ng kalagayan ng libo-libong pamilyang Pilipino,” he said.
(There will be no interruption to the continuous implementation of rehabilitation programs because the welfare of thousands of Filipino families relies on it.)
Asked if the President would consider expanding Lacson’s responsibilities or authority, the Secretary merely said that the CRRP will still be discussed by the Cabinet, which will result in new strategies and the division of tasks among agencies.
Coloma reiterated that Lacson estimates that around 80 percent to 85 percent of the rehabilitation goals will be achieved before the term of Aquino ends, although the President could decide to fast track the operations.
He also said that the President is satisfied with the performance of Lacson.
“Sa aking nakikita po ay nasisiyahan ang Pangulo sa kanyang trabaho,” he said.
(Based on what I have seen, the President is happy with Lacson’s work.)
Coloma added that Aquino really wants someone to focus on the rehabilitation of typhoon-hit areas.
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