RECENTLY, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. said the past administration has done nothing when it comes to the Yolanda recovery and rehabilitation program. However, Atty. Salvador Panelo has a lesson for the president.
‘’It seems that he received the wrong information. It is incorrect to claim that the Yolanda Rehabilitation Program only started two years ago, according President Marcos Jr, and that the Aquino and Duterte administrations did nothing regarding this,’’ Atty. Panelo said.
Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Atty. Salvador Panelo immediately took the opportunity to refute President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement after he said the Aquino and the Duterte administrations did nothing to rehabilitate the city of Tacloban after it was devastated by super typhoon Yolanda or better known by its international name ‘Haiyan’ in 2013.
“Well, it’s part, it’s always part, it’s part of our continuing plan of the rehabilitation of what’s happened. Because even up to now, some of the governors, I was talking to them, some of the other officials, we haven’t really fully recovered yet. We can’t truly say that we have fully recovered from Yolanda,’’ PBBM said.
‘’So, all those rehabilitation, you know, we only really started two years ago because nothing was done in the previous administration before that. So, how long, 12 years on, only now we are paying proper attention to it,’’ he added.
Who can forget super typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan which lashed Visayas?
The damage left by the most deadly storm to ever hit the Philippines – more than 6,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed.
Former President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III issued Memorandum Order no. 62, s. 2013, for the creation and duties of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) to oversee the crafting of the more than ₱167 billion Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) and its implementation.
In a document provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to Atty. Panelo, the different accomplishments of the government until the year 2017 can be seen.
As of December 7th, 2017, a total of 1,150,636 families or 110 percent of the total CRRP target of 1,048,637 families have benefited or have received their assistance.
Meanwhile, the Aquino administration built 160,000 housing units and started its distribution immediately the following year in 2014.
As for the Duterte administration.
‘’They have a target to finish the housing units they were not yet able to build, and they were able to finish it in 2022 – they have finished 85%. When President Duterte’s term ended, 85% of the targeted figure of 205,000 housing units have been distributed. 85% of it. So, there’s a remaining 15%,’’ Duterte administration said.
Despite this, Atty. Panelo believes that like before, President Marcos Jr. Was only given the wrong information – the reason why he made an inaccurate statement.
‘’And this remaining 15%, this is probably what President Marcos Jr. was referring to. They started with regard to the remaining 15%. And, this 15%, he started this. In other words, it is to the credit of this Marcos administration that it continued the remaining 15%. But it is not accurate to say that the Aquino and the administration of Duterte, did nothing, because 85% was finished. The remaining – 15%. So, credit must be given to where it is due and to whom. Of course, Aquino administration, Duterte administration, and BBM administration all of them. However, I think the problem is as usual, the president is always misinformed of the facts and the figures.” Panelo said.
In the end, Atty. Panelo has an advised for President Marcos Jr. – and that’s to call up his staff and tell of those who are providing him the wrong information in order to avoid embarrassing himself in public.
