Mayor: Politicking in relief delivery

CEBU, Philippines - Dumanjug, Cebu Mayor Nelson Garcia has accused the Capitol of po-liticking in the distribution of relief goods to typhoon survivors.

He questioned why rice and canned goods were distributed through Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano Gica and not through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

“Di man na sila accountable person. Legislation man na ang ila. Unsaon man na nila pag-justify sa COA (Commission on Audit),” Garcia said.

Garcia is a critic of the Capitol while Gica, his political nemesis, is an administration ally.

Garcia said he only got 20 sacks of rice at the Badian District Hospital after he was told by Governor Hilario Davide III while Gica got 26 sacks of rice and canned goods.

“Kung namolitika pa, wa unta siya hatagi ni Governor,” Gica said when asked for his reaction on the mayor’s statement.

Gica confirmed receiving relief packs from the Capitol that distributed by himself to the typhoon survivors by using the list from Dumanjug’s Municipal Social Welfare Office.

He said this was after he received complaints that only supporters of Garcia were given relief goods.

“That’s the reason why nangayo ko relief goods sa province kay gipamolitika nila ang paghatag sa relief goods,” Gica said.

Also, Garcia likewise accused Gica of misusing the funds Senator Alan Peter Cayetano gave for the purchase of 200 sacks of rice the towns of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, and Sibonga, which supposedly should receive 50 sacks each.

“Gaduda ko siya ang supplier sa bugas sa province, angay ni susihon,” Garcia said, as it was Gica who purchased the sacks of rice for the four towns.

While he confirmed receiving funds from Cayetano, whom he said he approached after the calamity, Gica said there was no anomaly in the purchase of the sacks of rice.

“Ambot ngano magsakit iya dughan kung duna pud tay ginagmay nga ihatag sa kaigsoonan. Malipay unta siya nitabang ta pag-distribute sa mga naapektohan sa baha,” Gica said.

He explained that the assistance he got from his friends did not go through the MSWDO, as the person-in-charge would not cooperate with him as the employee was under the exe-cutive department.

Gica said another proof that politicking was not involved in their disaster response is that the town council placed Dumanjug under a state of calamity to give Garcia a free hand in using the municipality’s P10-million calamity fund.

 “It (politicking) is unfounded, kanang giingon ni Mayor Garcia nga namolitika. Ang probinsya wa namolitika,” Davide, on the other hand, told reporters yesterday.

Davide said he even visited the offices of the mayors of Dumanjug and the other southern Cebu towns regardless of their political affiliation.

The governor recalled that his instruction to the responding agencies of the Capitol during a meeting with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was to ensure that no towns in the south that need help would be left out.

“My instruction there nga di ko ganahan makadungog nga naay moreklamo nga naay wa makadawat og relief pack, nga katong mga manginahanglan hatagan gyod,” he said.

Record of the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office showed that as of December 30, Dumanjug town received 15 sacks of rice, 10 boxes of sardines, 10 boxes of noodles, and 20 boxes of mineral water from the Capitol.  (FREEMAN)