Mar takes offense at ‘spliced, malicious’ video

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas took offense at a video uploaded on the Internet, which he said was spliced, malicious and meant to cover up the incompetence of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

“It’s clear that the malicious video was meant to cover up his own lapses as an elected official and pass the blame on to the national government,” said Roxas in a briefing yesterday.

He said he was just trying to correct what was suggested by the video, which implied the DILG secretary was pressuring Romualdez to give up his power as mayor or they would be left on their own.

The video shows Roxas insisting in a meeting with Romualdez that a council resolution or letter is needed to “legalize” the national government’s takeover of disaster response in the devastated city.

When Romualdez asked if this was illegal, Roxas reminded him that the President is an Aquino and the mayor a Romualdez – a reference to the clan of Ferdinand Marcos’ widow Imelda.

At the end of the uploaded footage, Roxas says without the official request, Romualdez and the city are on their own: “Bahala na kayo sa buhay n’yo.”  

The video was apparently taken during a meeting on courses of action for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City, where Roxas, Romualdez and other police officials were present.

Roxas said he decided to face the media again to set the record straight following what he described as a spliced video, which was uploaded by a certain Jose Mari Gonzales, the name of the father of former actress Cristina Gonzales, Romualdez’s wife.

Aside from the spliced 18-second video, the DILG chief said there was another video of 51 minutes, taken during the consultation meeting on Nov. 14, or six days after Yolanda.

He said whoever uploaded the shorter video had evil intent and those who have watched the longer version heard what he uttered during the meeting.

“I just wanted a clear delineation of tasks, that’s why I asked for the letter,” he said.

Roxas said Romualdez ignored orders to evacuate people before Yolanda made landfall.

Romualdez claimed he was in the bay area to check on the shore.

The DILG chief scored the mayor for allegedly not following the Code Blue, which requires all local government officials to be at the operation center at the Leyte Gymnasium.

Roxas expressed sympathy for Romualdez as he was also a victim of the calamity.

Meanwhile, lawmakers allied with the administration defended Roxas from accusations that he injected politics into the disaster and relief efforts in Tacloban.

Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento and Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco said the primary responsibility for disaster management rests with the local governments.

They said Romualdez’s lack of disaster preparedness should be blamed for the chaos in the aftermath of Yolanda.

Haresco said Roxas immediately sent assistance to Aklan hours after the super typhoon, noting that even before the typhoon made landfall he and other Cabinet officials were constantly giving updates to Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto also issued a statement yesterday citing the government, particularly the NDRRMS, for having “gone that extra mile for their fellow citizens.”

“We have been beneficiaries of the administration’s foresight in improving our country’s scientific resources, and in the planning and execution of contingency measures in times of disasters. Even as Zamboanga received all out protection from the government, when tragedy struck Bohol, the entire government, civilian and military, came to our aid,” he said.

Saying government’s efforts are being “unfairly criticized,” Chatto said “I hope our fellow citizens will remember that in no time in living memory have we seen the Philippine government be able to handle not one, or two, but three crises all at the same time. Now we have.”

Speaking of his province’s experience, he said “we were never abandoned even at the maximum time of need of our fellow citizens in Samar and Leyte. This says so much about the skill, dedication, and industriousness of the national government.” – With Paolo Romero