Headlines

Inday Sara sets up new bank account for Davao blast victims

September 7, 2016 | 5:15pm

DAVAO CITY — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has opened a bank account named under the City Government of Davao to make way for the downpour of donations from individuals and private companies who wanted to help the families and victims of the blast at the Roxas night market.

Duterte-Carpio made the account on Sept. 5, three days after the explosion which killed 14 and injured 70.

In her post on Facebook, she said: "It was brought to my attention that some individuals are depositing money in a bank account purportedly owned by Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte. Please refrain from doing so because I do not have access to this account and even if I did I do not want to hold money for the bomb victims. In response to the situation, the City Government of Davao is giving its bank account number to all those who want to send help."

The mayor posted the account name "City Government of Davao" and the bank number 1472-1040-00 under the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Majority floor leader Councilor Bernard Al-ag said it was due to the requests of private companies and individuals.

"Marami ang gustong magbigay ng kanilang donations. Most are from outside the city," Al-ag said in an interview at around 3 p.m. today before he, Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, and Duterte-Carpio's chief of staff Atty. Raul Nadela Jr. personally handed the cash assistance from the city’s Crisis Intervention Fund to the admitted victims at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Nadela added that some companies have donated as much as a million peso to the bank account.

"May mga walk-in din sa office, kanina may nagbigay ng P5,000," he said.

The city officials are yet to decide what to make out of the accumulated donations. Although, Nadela informed they might use it to support the education of the victim's children.

Davao City hands financial assistance to victims

On Tuesday, the 18th City Council has approved to give out P4.5 million in financial assistance to the victims and the families of those who died in a bloody explosion, late evening of Sept. 2.

The Crisis Intervention Fund still has a budget of P16.8 million for the rest of the year.

While Councilor Diosdado Mahipus said no amount of money would compensate for the victims' lives, the city would like to give what they could.

Of the approved amount, P560,000 is set aside for the 14 deceased victims' families at P40,000 each. The families have already received the cash yesterday evening.

The remaining allocation, P2.1 million would equally be distributed to the 70 injured victims, who would get P30,000 each.

The city has also allotted P20,000 for the Muslim victim, Steven Tagadaya, a fifth-year student of Ateneo de Davao University for Kanduli expenses. Also, for his 17-year-old sister Princess who is currently admitted at the SPMC.

A total amount of P648,000 will be for food assistance of the watchers of patients who are still confined at the hospital.

Nadela said they would give P300 a day per watcher for their food expenses, which would last for as long as 20 days.

Another P525,000 will be for the memorial lot requests including excavation costs and P130,000 for the meals during the interment.

The remaining P275,000 will be for the patients who will be discharged late from the hospital.

Financial assistance from the national government is also expected.