People who entered GK Yolanda storage were volunteers

CEBU, Philippines - After an investigation made on the reported burglary in its storage room at the Cebu International Convention Center, Gawad Kalinga disclosed that the people captured on video by Closed Circuit Television cameras were volunteers of the organization.

In a press conference yesterday, GK Cebu head Antonio Florendo said Capitol submitted two video footages that proved that GK’s storage area at CICC where relief goods for Yolanda victims were kept was accessed without permission.

One video showed that the camera started recording on June 17 and ended early morning the following day. The video showed eight to nine people. The second video, which started late evening on June 18, reportedly captured four unidentified people

“The first video, what happened there is, we have a volunteer, a long time volunteer, who actually approached our communities and told them that they could go to CICC with him to get clothing,” Florendo said.

He explained that beneficiaries who volunteered in repacking donated clothes were given three to four pieces as “payment”.

“What happened during our relief operation was that several of our communities, we would asked them to go to the CICC to help us pack (the goods). Since we do not have any funding to pay them, they were allowed to take few pieces of clothing as payment for their services,” he told reporters.

However, the volunteer who brought others with him on the night of June 17 to get clothing at the CICC reportedly did not have authority to do so.

Florendo said those who received the items wanted to return them upon learning that the clothing was given without authorization.

“At this point, it is quiet difficult to actually return the items because they have used them. So what we’re asking them to do instead, the specific community, is to help in the repacking…as again for payment for what they got that night,” Florendo said.

The volunteer has reportedly been directed to explain the incident and identify the “communities” he brought to CICC.

As far as the second video is concerned, Florendo said, “We have investigated truly but we cannot seem to identify these individuals. We don’t know who they are. They may be the crime suspects in ransacking. We cannot really say.”

Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Inc. has been involved in post-Yolanda activities such as rebuilding of houses in northern Cebu.

Yolanda damaged 103,831 houses and affected 152,746 families. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga and Claire Tano, USJ-R Masscom Intern/JMO (FREEMAN)