Midsayap evacuees hit delay of relief funds

COTABATO CITY – Evacuees in the conflict-stricken town of Midsayap in North Cotabato have warned members of the provincial board of "murkah" (divine wrath) if they continue their political intramurals that delay the release of P120 million in relief assistance for them.

"The wrath of Allah will surely fall on them for condoning our miseries in the evacuation sites," Bai Masla, mother of six, said in the vernacular.

Masla’s family was among those displaced by the spate of hostilities between military and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces in Midsayap last January and early this month.

A visibly irked North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said relief assistance for more than 7,000 evacuees in Midsayap could be suspended until June if provincial board members identified with a gubernatorial candidate would continue to "dilly-dally" on deliberations on the fund release.

Piñol, who is on his third and final term, is running for vice governor. He is supporting incumbent Vice Gov. Jesus Sacdalan for governor.

In his weekly program "Pareng Gob" over Catholic radio station dxND in Kidapawan City last Wednesday, Piñol chided certain board members for "conniving" with each other in delaying the declaration of Midsayap under a state of calamity to hasten the release of the relief funds.

"These board members are afraid the money could be used in the (campaign) of administration candidates in the provincial government. It is a very sweeping conviction. They are wrong," he said.

Piñol said the board members have until March 27 to approve the relief allocation before they prepare for their re-election bids or candidacies for other positions.

"It will be difficult to convene them and muster a quorum during the campaign period, which starts next month," he said.

A 50-year-old farmer, Kused Kamar, said the relief assistance, if approved, would be a big help to the thousands of Midsayap villagers still languishing in evacuation sites.

"There is lack of food and medicines for sick evacuees. My children are complaining of hunger every day. Allah will punish these board members if they will ignore our plight and because of politics, prolong our situation," Kamar said in halting Tagalog.

Piñol alleged that Sacdalan’s rival, an outgoing town mayor, and his allies in the provincial board are waging a war against his administration at the evacuees’ expense.