The accountability game

Barely one week after Typhoon Tino hit the Philippines, the weekend was once again a test of faith as Supertyphoon Uwan battered its way through. We were lucky to be spared from the heaviest rains, but the winds were unforgiving, especially in areas up north. Many of us have yet to recover from the earthquake that shook us just days prior, and here we are again finding ourselves helping out our fellow Cebuanos in any way we can, trying to figure out how they might possibly restart their lives. It feels like a cycle we can’t seem to break: calamity, chaos, and the collective effort to rebuild. Yet amid the shared exhaustion and compassion, what stands out is how some of our supposed leaders are using social media as a platform not for coordination or clarity, but for slinging mud even further.

Take for instance the case of the Frascos, whose presence was nowhere to be found during the onslaught of Tino. Many were quick to point out that they were in London on a personal trip, duly certified by the province through an authority to travel. When they arrived home and began to speed up their optics, the so-called accountability game began. Congressman Duke called on the governor to send assistance immediately and to “set aside politics.” His post, however, may have fallen on deaf ears or perhaps he was the one tone-deaf to the entire situation. Instead of unity, what we saw was a public tug-of-war on who did what and when, while people on the ground were literally clinging to rooftops or wading through chest-deep floodwaters.

For those of us who have been on the ground these past days, the scenes are difficult to unsee. Residents struggled to keep it together: some losing loved ones, others losing their homes, and many facing nights without food inside their bellies. Add to that the lack of clean water, power outages stretching for days, and the uncertainty of whether their houses are still safe to return to. The best response, really, is not to craft statements or hashtags, but to feel the anger that comes from knowing that all this could have been prevented. Cebuanos do not need more PR stunts; they need decisive action without having to ask for it. They need leaders who will show up even without a camera crew around.

Manila anchors kept on asking me during live reports, “Did Cebu prepare?” My answer was yes as Odette taught us so many painful lessons. But truth be told, nothing can prepare anyone for a flash flood that reaches the ceiling of homes in just a minute. The floodplains have reclaimed their space, and water from the mountains, unable to seep in, found its way downward, claiming more than a hundred lives in its path.

At the end of the day, there isn’t much impact to the constituents if leaders continue to bicker publicly. What the people want are promises translated into tangible results. Words must take a backseat to action. The less one talks, the better so that those who are willing to help can finally do what needs to be done.