TACLOBAN CITY-As rehabilitation remains apparently slow six months after supertyphoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, storm victims asked rehabilitation and reconstruction czar Panfilo Lacson to resign from his post. “We don’t see Lacson at all to be worthy of his post. First, he is incompetent. His and the national government’s nonexistent rehabilitation is the complete reflection of such. Second, he’s got no proper qualification for the post,” Mark Simbajon, one of the convenors of the People Surge, a broad coalition of Yolanda typhoon victims. “Consequently that proves us that rehabilitation is not something the national government really wanted,” Simbajon added. Earlier, Senator Francis Escudero also expressed his frustration over the slow pace in government rehabilitation program claiming that only P4 billion of the P100 billion allotted in the 2014 budget has been released for it. Commenting on this, Simbajon said that “it is a reflection of Lacson’s incompetence and the pseudo rehabilitation Pres. Benigno Aquino III is pushing for.” “(The national gover4nment) is only using the names of Yolanda victims as capital, just like a commodity being sold in the national market,” Simbajon added. The People Surge, which counts of more than 10,000 typhoon victims as members, demanded the government of P40,000 cash assistance to help them rebuild their homes; continued food assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the stop the implementation of the no build zone which prohibits dwellers within 40 meters from the coastline. Meanwhile, Simbajon reported that some of People Surge’s members have experienced harassment by alleged military men under a supposed “new mandate.” “Yes there are happenings of such harassment. At this point, as advised by our legal counsel, we cannot speak much detail yet. Sorry. But we are tightening security measures because of such,” Simbajon said. (RONALD O.REYES)
