Turf war at Villamor?

TOKYO, Japan — Unlike in the past, many motoring and business journalists from the Philippines attending this year’s 43rd Tokyo Motor Show struggled between attending to fulfill professional commitments or doing volunteer work back in Manila. Unknown to the general public, many of them along with spouses and sometimes even with their children have been busy doing their own fund raising, collecting relief goods, and doing their part to support the public information drive to help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Many of them have participated in what is called “Oplan hatid” or giving free rides to people from Tacloban who have been arriving at the Villamor Air base. Ever since the unplanned airlifts began, many people coming from NAIA have seen so many people lining up in front of Villamor Airbase looking for taxis, trying to find jeepneys or some means to reach an uncertain destination mostly outside Metro Manila. In response several car enthusiasts, motoring journalists and ordinary drivers made their way to Villamor to give free rides where there was none and to insure the evacuees are not victimized by “contractor drivers or robbers posing as drivers.”

From this simple assistance the operations quickly expanded to giving medical assistance, phone calls, Food, plane fare-bus fares (purely out of pocket) from volunteers. Some drivers have gone as far as Olongapo City, Baguio City, one doing approximately 7 trips to various points in one day. These volunteers buy their own fuel, use their own cars and more often than not even give “baon” to their passenger. They patiently complied with Air base directives even if at times these constant changes in procedure seemed contrived and designed to increase the level of difficulty. For the drivers, complaining was not an option they were there to help and accomplish a mission: to help those in need. It was about rides not pride.

Unfortunately, this very useful and successful effort of volunteerism was declared “officially shut down,” effective 12 noon of November 21 by unnamed officials at Villamor Air base. According to messages from a number of driver volunteers on the ground, they would be kicked out along with anybody and everybody doing private sector efforts to help the evacuees. All evacuees at Villamor Air Base along with all new arrivals will then be herded in military transport trucks and buses and brought to Camp Aguinaldo. From initial information, there was no prior consultation, no meetings, just an “unceremonious notice of discharge” from the premises and a blurb that “it was not the public’s job to provide assistance to the evacuees but the job of public officials.”

In fairness to the Camp officials, this may have to do with “management’ or security issues because Villamor is a military installation. But the cold and callous manner of evicting people who have partnered with the Air Force and has certainly added to their popularity ratings was a blunder of momentous proportions that will haunt whoever the officer or government official who thought up this move.

To make matters worse, rumors have started to circulate that “the volunteers were caught in the middle of a turf war between certain “Officers Wives” versus DSWD officials. Another source lays the blame squarely on the DSWD who allegedly don’t appreciate not being “in control” of the non-compliant and informal system of Oplan Hatid.  So from a ton of solid good authentic PR, Villamor officials will once again have to deal with unwanted negative publicity from an already frustrated public! 

Since I am writing this from Tokyo, I would just like to point out that I will not be able to update on any changes in the situation from 8:07 a.m. Nov. 21, 2013 until publication of this article. I pray that those involved come to realize that there is a more important concern on the ground beyond: our suffering Kababayans.

Whether it’s in the many interview rooms, private cars, hotels, at the airport, or even inside planes, the first thing people from all over the world ask or comment about when they find out that you’re from the Philippines is about the disaster caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Even before any business meeting begins, they instantly express their shock, their condolence and their frustration of not being able to help directly or do more for the people of the Visayas, particularly Tacloban.

This was the same at every interview session, meet and greet, as well as casual conversations. Without doubt, our massive tragedy has been top of mind, even here at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show. Momentarily those expressions of concern and condolence confirm that people from all over the world and not just their governments are thinking of us and supporting us. Business or getting work done is not the immediate intent. This week: compassion comes before corporations.

*      *      *

The Supreme Court decision to declare “Pork Barrel funds” and various maneuvers to manipulate government funds as unconstitutional was clearly a well studied and well designed decision not just to address the question of legality but also a pro-active step to second guess the next moves of pork barrel starved politicians who can still use their legislative powers to legalize or to shift things around under the guise of new legislation.

Without access to the actual and full decision, I have no way of knowing if the Supreme Court also moved to clarify the legal and actual meaning or interpretation of “The power of the purse”. As has been the constant claim and defense made by members of Congress, they alone have the power to allocate, approve or disapprove budgets, and decide on how tax money is to be spent. At the moment, the Supreme Court decision particularly on the use of the Malampaya Funds is based on reading and study of the law that created the fund.

My personal fear is the certain possibility that just like my native pigs in the farm, certain lawmakers will immediately start looking for another way, a hole in the fence/law that will allow them to get to the pork barrel. If this has not be addressed, I hope those smart complainants and their great lawyers who won at the Supreme Court will immediately study the possibility before the Legislators pull a fast one on us!

*      *      *

E-mail:[email protected]