Sanlakas asks for release of P500 million from Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines —  Militant group Sanlakas that has affiliates in Barangays Inayawan, Pardo, Tejero and San Roque has  launched a synchronized online action yesterday morning calling for the city government to act on their clamor for immediate relief.

Sanlakas Secretary General Teoderico Navea, in a statement, said that the city government must not "dilly dally" in providing aid and relief to its starving constituents.

Navea added that it is long overdue and that it has been 10 days since the P500-million allocation was approved.

Earlier, the Inter Agency Task Force for Emergency Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has reverted Cebu City to the stricter Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) status effective June 16 to June 30.

Navea said the status catapulted Cebu City as the lone local government unit in the country to be under ECQ based on the IATF resolution and decision on the trends on COVID, health capacity of the country, social, economic and social factors.

It said that on the third day of the ECQ status, June 19, the Cebu City Council has approved Supplemental Budget No. 3 (SB-3) amounting to P1.3 billion which includes appropriation for aid for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and hazard pay for essential barangay workers.

Navea said that the reverting of ECQ status will culminate on June 30 and the P500-million allocation is yet to be enjoyed by the starving Cebuano households.

"Aanhin mo pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo," Navea added.   GAN (FREEMAN)