Council claims rice aid used for “campaigning” ‘undignified’ distribution

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has called out the city’s executive department, particularly the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF), over the alleged distribution of sacks of rice that were reportedly used for “campaigning” and sourced from calamity fund.

In her privilege speech, Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, called out the concern, and criticized the “undignified” manner of the distribution, where the sacks of rice were unloaded like “sand on the ground.”

During the regular session yesterday, March 19, 2025, de los Santos delivered a privilege speech to highlight an incident that recently caught her office’s attention, based on a “concerning” social media post.

According to her, on March 11, 2025, five-kilo sacks of rice were allegedly distributed in Barangay Duljo Fatima. These sacks were reportedly transported by a truck from the city’s Department of General Services (DGS).

While she acknowledged the city’s initiatives to provide assistance to the community, she expressed concern about the nature of these distributions.

De los Santos said the social media post prompted her office to seek legal backing and address the manner in which the distribution was carried out.

In her speech, de los Santos presented a record on the screen showing that the distributed rice was part of the 166,600 sacks procured from A1 Milling Corporation for more than P49 million “sometime late last year.”

She further disclosed that the P49 million was charged to the LDRRMF’s Relief and Recovery Fund, which she noted was used despite the absence of a state of calamity.

“The manner of the distribution, as shown in the video of the activity, was highly undignified and inconsistent with our standards for respectful and efficient public service,” said de los Santos.

A video she presented showed the sacks of rice being directly dumped onto the ground. De los Santos described it as “similar to dumping sand and gravel,” with the truck bed simply lifted to unload the rice.

According to her, the way the rice was “dumped” reflected the intent behind the distribution, which should have followed proper guidelines.

She further outlined several issues with the program, including that no declaration of a state of calamity had been issued by the city council, as required under RA 10121, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. Such a declaration must be based on a recommendation from the local disaster council.

De los Santos emphasized that a state of calamity declaration is necessary to use disaster funds. She pointed out that the most recent declaration approved by the council was on March 27, 2024, covering 28 mountain barangays affected by El Niño. Duljo Fatima, she stressed, was not included.

She then called out the manner in which the rice was distributed, saying it “left much to be desired.” She reiterated that, according to the video, some men in plain clothes climbed onto the truck and “threw” the sacks of rice onto the ground, while others carried them off to an unknown area.

“This leads one to question if the sacks reached the intended beneficiaries and whether the distribution for all recipients was fair and equitable,” de los Santos said.

She also revealed a rumor that reached her office, suggesting that a patronage system was imposed during the distribution, leaving the truly needy aside. De los Santos likened this to the city’s cash-aid programs, where favored areas were prioritized.

“I haven’t come across an administration as undignified and disrespectful as this,” de los Santos lamented.

She also noted that uniformed personnel from the Cebu City government were present during the distribution, while others allegedly wore shirts bearing the name “Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.” These allegations were supported by multiple videos she presented.

Additionally, she said the distribution appeared not to have been conducted in coordination with the LDRRMF.

Following de los Santos’ speech, the council approved her motion to request a report from the LDRRMF on the use of calamity funds for rice distribution in Barangays Duljo Fatima and San Nicolas, along with a list of beneficiaries. They also cautioned the LDRRMF to use the calamity fund only in areas where a state of emergency has been declared.

Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. described the distribution as an “illegal act” with no legal basis, calling it an effort for “campaigning.”

“There is the name of the mayor, that’s it. That’s campaigning,” Archival said.

Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman of the council’s Committee on Disaster, clarified that all state of calamity declarations must go through the city council, and none had been processed recently. He affirmed that the only state of emergency the council approved was last year.

Meanwhile, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera mentioned that she had received reports of rice sacks being distributed in Barangay Quiot Pardo in similar packaging.

“Daghan kuno kaayong ulod ug kanang molds, so makadaot ni sa image sa city government,” said Pesquera, reading a complaint from a resident.

She then urged the Cebu City Health Department to investigate the matter.

The council also called on the DGS to provide details on the locations and point persons responsible for distributing the rice sacks. They requested that the heads of the DGS and the city disaster management office identify those behind the distribution and provide proper liquidation reports. — /ATO (FREEMAN)