Cayetano defends flood official

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is defending an official of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in connection with the monsoon flood that hit Taguig City.

In a statement, Cayetano said MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino “fired the wrong guy” when he ordered the relief of Baltazar Melgar, chief of the MMDA Flood Control Office, for his supposed failure to refuel the Taguig pumping station and another in Quezon City, leading to widespread flooding in Metro Manila.

During a Senate hearing on the incident, Cayetano presented a letter Melgar sent on Aug. 2, days before the flood, to MMDA assistant manager for finance Edenison Fainisan asking him to compel the fuel supplier to deliver gas as soon as possible due to an impending shortage.

He said he also received information that Melgar had called the supplier, but the delivery was made only last Aug. 8, the second day of the heavy rains.

The lawmaker noted that the flood in Taguig could have been prevented if the local pumping station did not run out of fuel, but he said he is not blaming Melgar.