Malacañang on Thursday defended itself against criticisms that the government’s slow pace in its post-Yolanda rebuilding efforts was to blame for the Tacloban City tent fire that killed at least seven people earlier this week.
“We must acknowledge the breadth, depth and complexity of the task at hand, and it would not be responsible to simply blame government because this is something that can be empirically determined,” Coloma said in a news briefing on Thursday.
He cited foreign experts who supposedly said that the country’s relief and rehabilitation programs are moving at a reasonable pace given the extent of the damage caused by Yolanda.
“Kung tutunghayan natin yung mga evident indicators, katulad nga ng sinabi ni Secretary Lacson, wala namang civil disorder na naganap. Wala naman ding malawakang epidemya o pagkakasakit at wala rin namang kagutuman na umiiral. Yang ang pinaka-fundamental na indicators ng kalidad ng pagtugon natin,” Coloma said.
“Baka naman hindi rin karapat-dapat na tayo ay maglalatigo sa sarili na walang katwiran—self-flagellation. Dapat lang siguro yung balanseng pananaw na kinikilala kung ano na yung nagawa; kinikilala rin kung ano po yung mahalagang hindi pa nagagawa; at higit sa lahat, mayroong determinasyon at commitment na pagdugtungin ‘yung dalawang bagay na ‘yon para sa kapakanan ng nakararami,” he added.
The Palace official said the government plans to find out what caused the fire.
He specifically said they may look into the safety precautions of the temporary shelters and the conduct of emergency response in case of fires.
“Dapat siguro merong mas responsive na sistema, at most basically, to ensure the safety and well-being of all others that are now in the temporary shelters. Kaya yan ay isang seryosong bagay na tiyak na pagtutuunan ng masinsing atensyon at lalapatan ng karampatang aksyon para hindi na po maulit,” he said.
Meanwhile, Coloma said the Cabinet will meet again on Friday to finalize the work programs for areas affected by Yolanda, specifically Leyte, Cebu, Tacloban, Eastern Samar and Western Samar.
On the other hand, he said plans for the other areas are “in progress.”
“According to Secretary Lacson, he expects that most if not all of this will be in full swing. Iyong nakumpleto na, nabuo na, mare-release na iyong pondo by June, which is just a week from now or a few days from now,” he said. —NB, GMA News
