Bro. Eddie Hits DSWD Chief Over Treatment of Typhoon Pablo Victims

Bro. Eddie on Wednesday criticized the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its failure to quickly and efficiently distribute relief goods to communities hit by Typhoon Pablo that led a group of typhoon victims to barge into and cart away sacks of relief goods, rice and noodles from a social welfare office in Davao.​

Villanueva said instead of threatening to press legal charges against Typhoon Pablo victims and their leaders, DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman should examine the department’s distribution chain to determine the cause of delays in the distribution of goods to affected communities.

​He said that while he does not condone the manner by which the group of typhoon victims took relief goods from the DSWD office, Villanueva said that the desperation behind the group’s action showed a deep discontent at the failure of the government to help alleviate their plight especially after the storm ravaged their communities.

​“We should understand that these typhoon victims may have lost loved ones, their homes, and their sources of livelihood because of the typhoon. Many of them have been getting by for months with very little food for themselves and for their families because of the failure ofthe DSWD to perform its mandate and provide relief to these people,” Villanueva said.​

“Given the relative comforts that she enjoys, Sec. Soliman should take the higher moral ground and not act impulsively on this matter. Instead, she should take a serious look at why her department is failing in its mandate for these typhoon victims.

”​Villanueva said he found “unbelievable” Sec. Soliman’s pronouncement that the distribution of relief goods to Typhoon Pablo victims was delayed due to a local non-government organization’s failure to provide the DSWD a list of specific areas where relief efforts should be conducted.​

“I could not understand DSWD’s excuse that the distribution of relief goods to Typhoon Pablo victims has been delayed over some problems with a local organization in the listing of areas where relief efforts should be conducted… More than two months have passed since the typhoon hit and the government is still sitting down waiting for a list,” Villanueva said.