Just for two days JVR son dares city dads to skip meals

CEBU, Philippines -  Talisay City administrator John Yre delos Reyes yesterday dared four city councilors to skip meals for two days so that they would know how people in Northern Cebu would have felt had they been denied food.

“I challenge them: ayaw mo kaon og bisag duha ka adlaw. Tan-awon nato dili ba mo gutmon,” he said.

The administrator spoke in defense of his father Mayor Johnny delos Reyes who was criticized by city councilors for sending relief goods to northern towns.

John Yre delos Reyes’ challenge came after councilors Dennis Basillote, Choy Aznar, Aldin Diaz, and Danny Caballero criticized the administration of Mayor Johnny V. Delos Reyes for sending help to Northern Cebu without the council’s approval.

The four councilors also said the city should help first its own affected constituents before sending its resources to others.

The young delos Reyes said the people in the north would starve if  the mayor had waited for the council to approve a resolution allowing him to purchase rice, canned goods, and noodles for them.

He said the calamity happened on Friday, and the council held its regular session last Tuesday, which means four days of waiting, plus another day to purchase the goods, before the people of the north get the goods from the city.

“Wa nila huna-hunaa nga ang mga tawo gigutom. Pahuwaton nila nga mag-session sila? Five days after pa sila nag-session. Sila kuno’y dili pakan-on og lima ka adlaw, mosugot ba sila,” he said.

And besides, he said that under the Local Government Code the mayor has the executive power, with or without a council resolution, to use the calamity funds for relief and rescue operations, even if these are for other local government units.

In response to Basillote’s statement that the city should help its people first before going to other places to distribute reliefs, the administrator said the city has already been doing it.

He said these four councilors should check first with the City Social Welfare Office to know the real story “sa dili pa sila magpataka og yawyaw.”

“Ang ako lang pangutana: Asa sila sa panahon sa bagyo? Nagsubay ba sila sa panghitabo? Kay mura’g wa gyud sila’y kalibutan sa mga gipangbuhat sa mayor nga wa pay bagyo gasuroy-suroy na, ug sa local DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). Pangutan-on nila si Ma’am Bebeth Solana kung ganahan sila makahibaw nga natabangan pa ang mga tawo o wa,” he said.

He said that as of yesterday at least 4,000 families, those who evacuated during the typhoon, were given relief  goods, and the distribution continues until every single family gets the same aid.

In the coming days the city will hand out housing materials to families whose homes were damaged, partially or totally, by the typhoon.

“Nadugay lang ni kay gasige pa og assess ang DSWD. But we are definitely providing assistance to our own people,” he said.

He said the city was lucky it was not badly hit like Medellin, Daanbantayan, Bogo City, Bantayan Island, and other towns in the north.

“Supposedly magpasalamat unta ni sila nga wa ta naigo, mao’ng nitabang ta sa uban. Dili manaway sa gibuhat sa syudad. Wa man sad gud ni sila kabati og gutom kay mga datu man ni sila,” he said.

Since last Sunday, the city has distributed relief goods to towns in Northern Cebu.

He said the mayor will still continue to distribute goods in the towns of  Bantayan Island and in Camotes. (FREEMAN)