Roxas finds unlikely defenders of gov’t ‘Yolanda’ response

DILG Sec. Mar Roxas. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

ROXAS CITY, Philippines—Hounded by criticisms over the slow phase of rehabilitation in areas ravaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas found unlikely defenders in two Iloilo mayors who supported his political archrival, Vice President Jejomar Binay, during the 2010 elections.

Roxas, who had been accused by Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez of politicking in implementing the government’s rehabilitation program, was warmly welcomed by his provincemates when he flew to his hometown on Wednesday.

Mayor Jesry Palmares of Passi City and Mayor Rene Cordero of Estancia town both said they received much-needed help from the national government even if they belonged to the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA), Binay’s political party, after violent winds spawned by Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) flattened their respective towns.

Palmares and Cordero were among the local chief executives from Western Visayas who attended a consultative meeting held at the Capiz provincial capitol on Wednesday night.

Roxas, who presided over the gathering, was joined by Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Alexander Pama.

In an interview after the meeting, the two mayors denied that typhoon-stricken towns, whose mayors did not belong to the ruling Liberal Party, did not get financial assistance and food packs from the national government.

“No, there is none. Right after the typhoon, the [assistance] just came in rapidly. I don’t think there was politics,” Palmares said when asked if political affiliation was a factor in the distribution of assistance of the national government.

“I don’t believe that only [proadministration mayors] were given financial assistance because I belong to UNA. I think it is fair enough to say that there was no politics. It’s not true,” he added.

He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government, through its Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) program, released a total of P18 million to Passi, a “sister city” of Makati City, the political stronghold of Binay and his family.

Cordero said Estancia, the worst-hit municipality in Iloilo province, received food packs and cash assistance within 24 hours after Yolanda barreled through the town.

“All of us got financial assistance from the government. There was no political color as what others have been claiming,” he said.

Mayor John Tarrosa of Zarraga town said the delay in the release of financial aids from the national government might have been caused by the failure of some mayors to submit the required documents pertaining to the program of work of rehabilitation projects under RAY.