Palace: No blame game between Noy, LGUs

MANILA, Philippines - The buck stops with him, and President Aquino believes it is better to just investigate what happened to local government units (LGUs)’ preparations and response to Super Typhoon Yolanda rather than engage in a blame game.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday Aquino, in calling the attention of some LGUs on the number of casualties while praising Guiuan, Eastern Samar officials, just wanted to emphasize their important role in times of disasters.

Aquino told reporters in Alangalang, Leyte that the shortcomings of some LGUs “is a matter that is subject of investigation.”

Asked what he felt about the perceived failures in preparedness and response, the President said: “I’d rather have the investigation finished before I accuse anybody.”

Being President, Aquino said “everything that happens would ultimately reside” in him “but people should consider the overwhelming magnitude of the typhoon.”

He said given the circumstances, one was tempted to despair, “but the minute I despair, then everybody gets hampered in the efforts to get up.”

He said LGUs were crucial as first responders, as they would give them the necessary data to tell the national government what they could not meet.

“Unfortunately, in Tacloban, in particular, the mayor himself almost became a victim of this. And we’d like to try and understand everything that happened,” he said.

“We have to admit, there was a breakdown in terms of government and there was a cascading effect,” he said.

But he stressed they were moving forward and now going to rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts.

“I have general supervision. But again the system has to rely on LGUs which are already in place to provide the necessary information so that adequate responses can be generated by the national government,” he said.

Aquino hinted that LGUs which have the most number of casualties would be investigated, since the national government had forewarned them about Yolanda’s massive catastrophe.

He said he was wondering why other LGUs have zero casualties, while others have a big number, implying that some local officials ignored repeated warnings.

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II said LGUs in areas ravaged by Yolanda are now functioning partially.

Roxas said many employees of the local government are now reporting for work.

He told President Aquino that all 40 towns in Leyte are now reachable by land after all roads have been cleared, allowing the passage of heavy vehicles like 6X6 trucks carrying relief goods and other assistance.

The 24 towns of Eastern Samar are also now reachable by land. – With Delon Porcalla, Cecille Suerte Felipe