Stop trading barbs, Palace, Cotabato City executives urged

COTABATO CITY ,Philippines  – Muslim and Christian communities in Central Mindanao yesterday appealed to Malacañang and local officials to stop trading barbs over relief efforts for thousands of flood victims in the region.

This, after Malacañang lashed out at Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. and other local officials on Thursday for insinuating that President Aquino did not bring help for flood victims when he visited this city the previous day.

Ustadz Ismael Ebrahim, a member of the local Darul Iftah (Islamic House of Opinions), said the national government and officials of this city and dozens of flood-hit towns in North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat should instead discuss “as a family” how they could complement each other’s efforts to alleviate the plight of more than 500,000 affected villagers.

“Let’s disregard our parochial interests and work as a team, as a family,” said Ebrahim, who is involved in various religious projects to foster Muslim-Christian solidarity.

The other day, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, in a statement, said, “At a time that calls for solidarity to effectively assist our countrymen in Mindanao, it is unfortunate that some officials choose to politicize relief efforts.”

Lacierda added: “There is no basis to Mayor Guiani’s prevarication that the national government has not sent relief or aid to Cotabato City, going as far as accusing the President of not bringing relief goods.”

For his part, Archbishop Orlando Quevedo yesterday said, “Now is the time to work together regardless of political, tribal identities and religious denominations. We also need to pray for good weather, for an end to the sufferings of the flood victims.” 

Quevedo said accusing one another of doing nothing could only worsen the miseries of evacuees. “This is the worst flooding in Central Mindanao in 35 years,” he added.