MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said Vice President Leni Robredo seems to be capitalizing on disaster after her remark on slow government response in areas hit by Typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-Ten).
"The remark Ms. Robredo made saying that the relief operations were 'slow' suggests a cynical political mindset willing to capitalize on disaster," Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement Wednesday.
Robredo on Tuesday commented that she thinks the disaster response was "somewhat slow" after visiting areas battered by the typhoon in her home region of Bicol.
She said that a barangay captain complained of not receiving assistance except for those sent by the Office of the Vice President. She added that there were still toppled electric posts along major roads days after the typhoon left the country.
"It’s unusual that after eight days, only 50 percent of the affected areas have electricity," she said.
Abella said that instead of criticizing the vice president should have shown appreciation of the work done by disaster officials, social workers and other volunteers who were on the ground even prior to "Nina's" landfall.
Robredo got flak for her absence during the typhoon's landfall. She arrived on Monday after spending the holidays with her daughters in the United States (US).
The vice president, however, said that she had coordinated relief operations while in the US. She added that she tried to return earlier but she couldn't book a flight back to the Philippines.
“It’s hard to find five tickets because I’m with my three children and 80-year-old mother. We’re supposed to return on the fourth, but the earliest we got was on New Year’s Eve,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo apologized to victims of the typhoon who have not yet received government assistance.
“We can help remind appropriate government officials and units to respond to their needs,” Taguiwalo said while urging the public to report irregularities in the distribution of food packs.
As of Wednesday, Abella said that over P182.47 million worth of relief assistance has been provided to affected families while electricity was brought back to priority areas in Bicol and Southern Tagalog before New Year.
He said that full restoration of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines transmission services in areas affected by "Nina" is expected today.
The typhoon has affected a total of 446,496 families or 1,986,960 individuals in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas, according to the situation report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Monday. Some 348,802 families or 1,545,924 individuals were affected by "Nina" in Bicol.