Ping bares LGU attempts to profit from rehab

MANILA, Philippines - Even before full-blown work on areas ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda begins, rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson said he has detected attempts by unscrupulous individuals in local government units to profit from the rebuilding efforts.

Lacson bared he heard of attempts for kickbacks last Friday when he visited Leyte and Samar for the first time after President Aquino appointed him as presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery. 

“There are a lot of unscrupulous lower ranking officials in the bureaucracy, who would try to get kickbacks at magpalusot,” Lacson said in an interview over dzBB.

“In fact, I heard about it last Friday and so I’ve asked the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to work on it. The rehabilitation and recovery efforts have yet to start full blast and full blown but there are those who already make excuses,” he added.

Lacson also said he already asked the PNP and the NBI to develop the case and possibly file charges against unscrupulous individuals whom he refused to identify pending an investigation. 

“I would like to set the rule that I don’t have to personally get hold of the money to be able to see those shenanigans,” he added.

But he clarified that the alleged anomaly does not involve relief goods, which are not within the mandate of his office. The distribution of relief goods is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

What is part of Lacson’s mandate is to make sure funds are funneled to the right projects in areas affected by Yolanda like Leyte, Samar, Iloilo and Northern Cebu. 

Although he would not be handling the funds, Lacson vowed he would make sure no one would take advantage of the rehabilitation money through kickbacks and commissions. 

He promised that he would closely coordinate with the department heads in the implementation of rehabilitation programs and would call their attention once the implementation does not jibe with the plans and programs of the national government.

‘Colorblind’ to politics

Lacson also said that he would be “colorblind” to the political setup in the local government level as he starts rebuilding efforts in Leyte, Samar, Iloilo and Northern Cebu. 

“Colorblind muna ako sa politics ngayon. If I will consider political color, I will be distracted. I don’t want to know the political persuasion, but if the political color is obvious, I’ll try to ignore it. It will really distract me. Experts advise me to keep my focus (on the rehabilitation projects),” Lacson said.

The rehabilitation czar also said that most of the local government officials and line agencies he met last Friday expressed willingness to work with him. 

“The LGUs and line agencies are very supportive, like Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and the National Economic and Development Authority,” he added.

When asked about his possible presidential bid in 2016, Lacson said he has stopped reading criticism about his appointment as rehabilitation czar to not be distracted.

“Again, I focus on the rehabilitation effort. I will do the task the best way I can. I may not be an engineer or an architect but I’m trying to learn. Basically, my job is about management and leadership,” he added. “You really can’t please everybody.”

Yolanda death toll more than 6,000

While Lacson is gearing up to lead the rebuilding efforts, the death toll from Yolanda has risen to 6,057, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

New fatalities were reported in the province of Leyte, but all of them remain unidentified.  – With Alexis Romero, Lalaine Jimenea