Turf war? Weary 'Yolanda' evacuees moved to Camp Aguinaldo from Villamor

MANILA, Philippines - About 2,000 persons or 400 families who survived typhoon “Yolanda” were moved to Camp Aguinaldo from Villamor Airbase Thursday amid reports of a turf war between the Social Welfare department and Air Force officials.

The evacuees constituted the first batch of survivors to be moved to Camp Aguinaldo, where they would be given stress debriefing, food and other vital services.

Asked why the survivors had to be transferred, Health department regional director Eduardo Janairo said Camp Aguinaldo is safer since they are more exposed to the elements in Villamor Airbase.

Janairo said the Villamor Airbase in Pasay is noisier and  more dusty owing  to the air assets that pass by the area.

“The community (in Camp Aguinaldo) is prepared to handle the relief operations,” Janairo added.

The Health official also denied that the decision to transfer the evacuees to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City is due to a turf war involving the wives of Air Force officials.

“There is no misunderstanding,” Janairo said.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista was clueless about the spat even if Villamor Airbase is the headquarters of the Air Force, one of the military’s major services.

“That operation is not within our purview. We do not know the details. We just provided the venue,” Bautista said when asked by the media about the decision to move the evacuees to Camp Aguinaldo.

On Wednesday, Oplan Hatid co-organizer Junep Ocampo announced that his group was stopping its operations in Villamor Airbase and decried the supposed rift between Air Force and social welfare officials.

Oplan Hatid is a group of volunteers who help transport typhoon victims from Visayas to the Villamor Airbase.

"This decision was made unanimously by the group after the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and the Villamor Air Base decided to part ways - with the DSWD packing its bags at noon tomorrow (Nov. 21) to go to Camp Aguinaldo," Ocampo wrote on his Facbook post.

“Since Day 1, there has been a turf war between these two agencies. The turf war has led to confusing and arbitrary changes in rules and policies, making it difficult for volunteers and those who want to volunteer to help the survivors of typhoon Yolanda,” he added.

Reports have quoted Ocampo as saying that the Air Force ladies would not want to be overshadowed in the relief efforts. Ocampo was apparently referring to the wives of Air Force officials.

“We have tried our best to work within the system. We have tried our best to understand all the illogical rules that they made us to follow. We only wanted to serve you. We only wanted to show you that, unlike this government, we do care for you,” Ocampo said.

Janairo denied that some groups were eased out of Villamor Airbase, believing that there might have been some sort of “misinterpretation.”

More evacuees

He said 1,100 families more or less about 5,500 persons were expected to be transferred to Camp Aguinaldo from Villamor Airbase Thursday evening or tomorrow.

About 1,500 families more or 7,500 individuals more from Samar and Leyte may be brought to Camp Aguinaldo in the next few days

The evacuees in Camp Aguinaldo are being given food and some stress debriefing. Some Catholic groups were also present to give rosaries and scapulars to satisfy the survivors’ spiritual needs.

Telecommunication firms also set up booths to allow the evacuees to call their relatives for free. Survivors who do not have relatives in Metro Manila will be brought to the local offices of the Social Welfare department.