PJ proves he handled victims’ expenses

CEBU, Philippines - Third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia yesterday showed proof to disclaim that the provincial government took care of the needs of the victims of the two vehicular accidents in the cities of Naga and Toledo recently.

Garcia presented to reporters yesterday receipts and other documents showing that his office paid the hospital expenses of at least 36 patients who were discharged from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

He reiterated his disappointment on how the “dysfunctional” Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office at the Capitol responded to the two incidents.

“We witnessed a collapse and paralysis of the social welfare office especially at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center,” he said.

Evelyn Sinajon who was designated by acting Governor Agnes Magpale to replace former PSWDO chief, Marivic Garces, disagreed with the statement of Garcia.

“Dili mi kaingon nga dysfunctional tungod kay kining atong opisina nag-lihok gyud ni siya sigun kung unsa may palisiya nga atong nasundan na sa una pa,” Sinajon said.

But Garcia pointed out that when the patients were about to be discharged, the social welfare employees were not there and that they could not even decide whether or not to cover the medical bills.

When the accident happened, Garcia assured that his office will shoulder the expenses not covered by the provincial government as well as by the transport operator involved.

“Ang ako lang, hinaut nga the social welfare office will shape up, we have to be prepared for incidents such as this,” Garcia said.

Aside from the VSMMC bills, Garcia said his office also paid for the CT scans conducted at the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital.

Garcia also hit Sinajon for not giving a pair crutches to a patient and instead told his staff to let the victim go to the office of acting Governor Agnes Magpale.

“It is not the way a social welfare office should be run, we should be thinking of the social welfare, not the welfare of your boss,” Garcia said.

Sinajon said their office is ready to help as long as the needed paper and documents are ready and complete.

“Ang kani nga opisina sa pagkakaron wala gyud mi namolitika, basta ang atoa serbisyo ra gyud ni,” Sinajon said.

Sinajon said that even when a mayor asks for assistance, he or she should see to it that their documents are in order, and not because the one requesting is a mayor.

Garcia yesterday instructed his staff to process the financial assistance of P20,000 to each fatality and P10,000 each for injured victims to be charged to his Priority Development Assistance Fund deposited as trust fund at the Capitol.

Garcia is hoping that Magpale will not do anything to prevent or hamper the release of these funds to the victims.

“I ask her nga on this matter alone ato usang isalikway ang pamolitika,” Garcia added.

Garcia earlier criticized the provincial government under Magpale as incompetent in handling disasters.

But Magpale refuted the claims that the Cebu Provincial Government is not doing anything to alleviate the plight of the victims of the two separate road accidents in the cities of Naga and Toledo that killed 12 people and hurt more than 60.

A week ago, ten people died and some 57 were injured after a prime mover trailer truck ploughed into a bus at the national highway of barangay Uling, Naga City, while two people died and 15 were injured when a jeepney hit a ten-wheeler truck in Barangay Magdugo in Toledo City last Friday.

Most of the victims were residents of the third district represented by Garcia who is running for governor in May 13, 2013 election under the One Cebu Party.   (FREEMAN)