Aquino scores critics on eve of Yolanda anniversary

President Aquino (right clockwise) meets with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (second right) and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez (in bright orange shirt) and other local officials to discuss alternative measures to hasten relief operations in and rehabilitation of Tacloban and other areas of Leyte devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” MALACACANG FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino III on Friday scored critics who accused him of neglecting Tacloban City, the area most devastated by Super Typhoon “Yolanda,” and which happened to be the bulwark of his family’s political foes.

In his speech after inspecting the Guiuan Public Market and relocation site in Eastern Samar, Aquino said he would leave it to the public to decide if his critics were correct in saying he ignored Tacloban, which incidentally was not part of his itinerary to commemorate the one year anniversary of the monster typhoon.

“Sa kabila po ng inisyatiba nating ito, malakas ang kutob ko, bukas na bukas po, mayroon pa ring hihirit: Pinapabayaan ko raw ang Tacloban. Kayo na ang bahalang kumilala kung sino ang mga magsasabi niyan,” Aquino said.

(Despite our initiatives, I have a feeling that tomorrow, someone will still claim I ignored Tacloban. I leave it up to you to find out who are saying this.)

The President again thumbed down the demand from People Surge, a militant group of typhoon survivors, to give P40,000 in immediate financial relief to each family affected by the typhoon.

“Tanong ko po sa inyo: Tama bang magpapogi na lang ako. Abutan na lang natin lahat ng pamilya… So balik na naman tayong sa walang pangmatagalang solusyon,” Aquino said.

(Let me ask you: Is it right for me to just make an impression and hand out cash to each family?… We’ll just get back to the lack of a long-term solution.)

Aquino had been allegedly snubbing Tacloban supposedly because it was the bulwark of the Romualdezes.

Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez is the nephew of Imelda Marcos. Aquino’s father, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated on his return from exile in 1983 during the presidency Ferdinand Marcos.