Binay slams Roxas’ ‘Yolanda’ record anew

The camp of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay hit former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas anew, saying his performance during Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and the days immediately after the strongest ever typhoon struck has exposed his failure as a manager and a leader.

“Yolanda has shown to the people the extent, or rather the limits, of Secretary Roxas’ executive capability. He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And his now classic reply to the local officials of Tacloban pleading for national government’s help best illustrates his insensitivity to the suffering of our people: Bahala kayo sa buhay nyo,” vice presidential spokesperson lawyer Rico Quicho said in an e-mailed statement

Quicho was reacting to President Aquino’s statement on Thursday acknowledging Roxas’ performance during Yolanda as proof of the latter’s leadership ability.

130,00 families still homeless

Quicho said Roxas, as administration candidate, should not evade questions on the failure of the administration to improve the lives of the poor and deliver basic services in Yolanda-hit areas.

He noted that about 130,000 families were still homeless and still live in tent cities and bunkhouses in Tacloban City and other areas devastated by Yolanda two years ago based on the report of the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).

Former national treasurer Leonor Briones of SWP said President Aquino had not yet approved the release of P54 billion for housing resettlement.

Twenty months after Yolanda, the government has not yet completed building resilient permanent homes for 205,000 families rendered homeless by the supertyphoon, SWP and Christian Aid reported.

Quicho said Social Watch traced the source of the problem to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which released “only a third or P21 billion of the P75 billion allocated for housing resettlement.”

Funds not immediately released

“A total of P170 billion was earmarked for reconstruction and rehabilitation but, again, the government has not released the whole amount,” Quicho said.

He added that government housing agencies were supposed to build 120,000 houses in 2015 for Yolanda victims but the funds were not immediately released to the National Housing Authority.

“These projects have been bid-out and ready for award but could not be awarded yet pending release of funds to the National Housing Authority,” he added.

Quicho cited the failure of the administration to release funds allotted for important infrastructure projects and basic services.

He noted the Aquino administration did not push through with approved programs for 2014 by not releasing fund allocations totaling P303 billion.