Bogo mayor denies report on ‘rusty, smelly sardines’

CEBU, Philippines —  Bogo City Mayor Carlo Jose Martinez has condemned the alleged public shaming directed against COVID-19 frontliners, particularly their social workers, who work round the clock for the welfare of Bogohanons.

“The only support we can give them at this time is lifting their morale instead of putting them on a bad limelight in social media without granting them due process which they are entitled to,” said the mayor in a statement.

His statement follows a report that one of the children of a senior citizen beneficiary in the city complained via Facebook that the two cans of sardines given to them were already rusty and smelly.

The mayor also appealed for the responsible use of social media and proper channeling of concerns for an immediate response.

“It is the city’s continued commitment to ensure that the food packs given to the beneficiaries are of good condition. In fact, the supplies undergo rigorous process of inspection upon delivery from the supplier up to the repacking process. Repacking is done by limited number of people so as to ensure that the CSWD can look into the quality of every food pack to be distributed to the community. We are also firm that our supplies are in good condition and have been recently purchased just March of this year 2020 for the Relief Operation for Covid-19 Pandemic Situation,” Martinez said.

Martinez added that the city has been able to distribute 4,883 relief packs for senior citizens to almost all of its 29 barangays. Around 3,498 packs are yet to be distributed.

The relief packs were distributed by the frontliners from City Social Welfare and Development.

“In all the city’s relief operations, this is the only complaint of this nature indicating rusted canned goods,” the mayor said.

The Facebook account user claimed that the goods are expired, but later retracted her statement even posting a photo of the goods in the comments section of the post bearing the expiry date, which was July 2022.

The mayor also appealed to his constituents that in trying times like this, “we need your cooperation and utmost understanding as we continuously assure you of our relentless efforts in ensuring your safety and welfare”.

The mayor further  asked for the Bogohanons’ cooperation and prayer as the city continues the fight against COVID-19, “an enemy invisible to the naked eye that have robbed us of the world and life we have been used to.”

“This is all our fight, regardless of our differences. We will fight this together as one,” he said.  KQD (FREEMAN)