DSWD and Aquino government must be held accountable for rotting rice fiasco

By People Surge
March 3, 2014

TACLOBAN CITY – The organization of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors in Eastern Visayas, People Surge, today said the issue over the waste of rice meant for typhoon victims must be not allowed to rest because the social welfare department and the Aquino government itself have yet to be held accountable.

“The fact that P580 million worth of rice meant for Typhoon Pablo victims in December 2012 rotted in the Subic Freeport cries out a case of criminal negligence,” said Dr. Bautista, People Surge spokesperson. “This was only found out when the rice was supposed to be given to Typhoon Yolanda survivors but was rejected as unfit for human consumption. So two groups of typhoon survivors were victimized over this wasted rice, donated by the customs bureau from confiscated illegal shipments in 2012, because of the irresponsibility of the DSWD to which it was entrusted.”

Dr. Bautista questioned why the DSWD had not been thoroughly investigated, especially Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman. “The DSWD has been assuring the public that it is doing all it can to help the typhoon Pablo and Yolanda survivors. Now we realize that the DSWD has been utterly remiss in wasting millions of pesos worth of aid, when rice was rotting while typhoon survivors were crying out for relief. Sec. Dinky Soliman should resign or be removed from office after being shown to be unfit by this incident as well as the dismal performance of her department in general in the two major calamities of Pablo and Yolanda.”

The People Surge spokesperson said, however, that firing Soliman would be too easy for the Aquino government without addressing the lack of relief and rehabilitation efforts. “The DSWD is getting away with gambling with people's lives because the Aquino government itself has been neglectful in delivering timely and continuing aid to the people. The DSWD has not been doing its mandate but acting more as a propaganda mouthpiece to cover up the Aquino government's failures in providing for the Yolanda survivors. The reality is that the department officially ended its relief operations in December 2013, when many would be still needing food packs for several months.”