Politics derails relief

MANILA, Philippines - Politics seems to be derailing relief efforts in quake devastated areas in Bohol, with Red Cross volunteers complaining of being shooed away by a mayor for refusing to turn over relief goods to him.

With the spat between volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco threatening to undermine relief efforts, Malacañang is calling on local chief executives to work hand in hand with the national government in distributing relief goods to earthquake victims in Bohol.

The fracas involving Evasco and PRC volunteers was shown on TV.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, meanwhile, ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate reports that some local executives in Bohol have been hoarding relief goods.

“As to the basic needs of the victims, in terms of food and shelter, this should not be jeopardized by any disagreements on the manner of distribution of relief goods,” Secretary Herminio Coloma told Palace reporters in a news briefing in Malacañang.

He said it is important that help reaches those most in need, hence the need for closer coordination among agencies and institutions.

“There should be no other agenda than to help the people,” Coloma said.

As mayor, Evasco heads the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee.

“We hope there could be more understanding so that our countrymen will benefit,” Coloma said.

He observed that both the local chief executive and the PRC official have legitimate reasons for their disagreements.

“The government will do its best to deliver the goods at the soonest possible time on the ground,” he said, explaining that it would be unfair to make a judgment on who should be faulted for the controversy.

“All agencies of the national government are coordinating with LGU executives and we have been urging them to adopt a very proactive and a very positive outlook and if possible minimize these kinds of issues,” Coloma added.

He explained that in any calamity on the scale of the Oct. 15 earthquake, there would always be “challenges to logistics in terms of evening out and hastening the distribution of goods.”

“That is why the President is always interested on updates on the ground, and he wants to make sure there are no blocks to efficiency in distribution. Those are our guidelines for our officials on the ground,” he said.

President Aquino is scheduled to revisit Bohol today.

Rules to follow

PRC secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang said their volunteers were giving out relief goods in barangay Poblacion last Thursday when the mayor suddenly turned up and asked that the relief goods be turned over to him.

Pang said when the PRC volunteers rejected the mayor’s demand, he asked them to leave the area.

“We cannot agree to what he was saying because there is a protocol, a procedure, a system that Red Cross all over the world follows when doing its job,” she told The STAR.

Pang insisted that the PRC had coordinated with local government units concerned when its volunteers embarked on a relief mission in areas affected by the earthquake in Bohol.

She noted that local leaders identified the places the volunteers were supposed to visit, while the PRC identified the families that were given relief goods.

“First, since we cannot give to everybody, we choose the most vulnerable families. We also don’t want to give similar support to people who already benefited from (other missions), so we really coordinate,” she added.

Pang said the PRC does not let other people distribute their relief assistance because there are documents that the recipients must sign.

“We told the mayor about this but he just said that his barangay captains could just sign our forms. We don’t do it that way. We are strict with our documentation because we are accountable to our donors,” she added.

Pang said the PRC is very strict about its rules so that it cannot be tainted by politics.

“Red Cross is independent, impartial and a voluntary (organization),” she said.

Arrogant

Sought for comment, Evasco accused the PRC volunteers of arrogance for not coordinating their activities in Maribojoc.

“I am not against the Red Cross as an organization. I am against people in the Red Cross who are arrogant who think they are the messiah and they have the solution to the problem at hand,” said Evasco, who used to be the chief-of-staff of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City.

“They came in without coordinating with us. We already have a system in place. They should have respected it and coordinated with us,” Evasco explained.

“We want that the goods will be distributed fairly and equitably among the residents in Maribojoc. That’s why we ask any organization, including the Red Cross to coordinate with us so that the distribution would not be chaotic,” Evasco said. Maribojoc lost 19 people to the earthquake.

He also brushed aside allegations that he was politicking when he demanded that his office handle the distribution of the relief goods.

“I am not running for any higher office as I am already about to finish my term. So, how can they accuse me of politicking?” With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edith Regalado, Aurea Calica