‘Let’s make policies, not comics’

Instead of creating comics, we should make policies to avoid repeating the shortcomings of the past, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said on Friday.

The senatorial candidate, who is pushing for the creation of a Department for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response, was alluding to the comic book “Sa Gitna ng Unos” depicting presidential candidate Mar Roxas as a hero during the Supertyphoon “Yolanda” catastrophe.

In a media forum in Quezon City, Romualdez, who represents the district hardest hit by the strongest typhoon to make landfall, said comics, “especially when used for political purposes, should be based on facts.”

“When you, as they say, try to revise history, this is when critics come out and become vocal,” Romualdez said even as he dodged questions on whether Roxas was a Yolanda hero. “I’d rather not pass judgment. I respect everyone’s right to project themselves in the manner they see fit. It’s for the people to judge.”

His cousin, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, was more vocal in criticizing Roxas, calling the comic book malicious and fictitious. Caritas Philippines executive secretary Fr. Edwin Gariguez also called the depiction a “shameful” and “unacceptable” propaganda.

Romualdez, who is aspiring to be the next Waray to land a Senate seat after more than 60 years, said he wanted to move forward and have the lessons instituted into policies.

“Whatever happened, we’ve learned a lot. I am advocating for a Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management that will be in a better position to assess situations. So you don’t have to pull out Cabinet secretaries from their respective portfolios who might not necessarily be the best in that field,” he said.

While there is a coordinating body (the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), Romualdez said there should be an agency that would be accountable in calamity response.

“Until now they’re pointing fingers. What happened to the relief goods, why did these rot? Where’s the cash donations, why hasn’t it reached the typhoon victims?” Romualdez said.

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