BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-CAR) warned erring barangay, municipal and provincial officials of Abra not to hoard the relief supplies being given by both the government and private sectors and to ensure that these relief supplies are fairly distributed to the victims of the magnitude 7 earthquake that centered in the province and struck most parts of Northern Luzon last week.
DILG-CAR regional director Aracely San Jose stated that reports on the alleged hoarding of relief supplies is now being validated by the agency’s field personnel in coordination with law enforcement agencies to ascertain those local officials who are taking advantage of the difficult situation to impede the delivery of assistance to the calamity-stricken victims.
She urged local officials to observe fairness in the distribution of the relief goods being given by the government and the private sector because social welfare officials have assured that there will be sufficient relief packs for everyone affected by the tremblor.
Earlier, reports reached concerned government agencies on the alleged malpractices of some local officials of Abra who are reportedly hoarding the relief goods being given to them and distributing these only to their supporters, among others.
The DILG-CAR official warned those officials doing the illegal hoarding of relief goods to refrain from doing so as they will be appropriately charged once their questionable activities will be validated.
According to her, the political season is already over and local officials should not politicize the distribution of relief goods to their constituents, especially those who had been affected by the earthquake, because Abra and some parts of the Ilocos Region are in a difficult situation where everyone must strive for survival.
San Jose stipulated that the agency will immediately make the appropriate recommendations to higher authorities against the erring barangay, municipal and provincial officials who continue to deprive their constituents of easy access to the relief goods in the province.
Of the more than P60 million worth of relief goods already distributed to the earthquake victims, more than 55 percent came from the available supplies of the social welfare department, more than 40 percent came from the concerned local governments while less than 5 percent came from the private sector.
Earlier, social welfare and development officials time and again reiterated that there is enough relief goods for the earthquake victims provided that the said goods are equitably distributed to the recipients.
The DSWD is constantly repositioning relief goods from its regional warehouse to the provincial office in Abra which will be distributed to the different municipalities for subsequent distribution to the recipients who have already been identified by the concerned barangay officials.
Abra had been the heavily impacted province of the magnitude 7 earthquake after its epicenter was located some 3 kilometers northwest of Tayum town with a depth of 17 kilometers.
