Posted by: DAVAO TODAY Posted date: October 23, 2013 In: Headline, Politics
ASSISTANCE. Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy (right) and New Bataan Mayor Balbin (middle) thank the mayors of Bohol represented by Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco (left) for the PHP 2 million worth of financial assistance to the victims of typhoon Pablo. Carmen Mayor Che delos Reyes and Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Neri Lim also visited the area Friday. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
By TYRONE A. VELEZ
Davao Today
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY — Maribojoc town mayor Leoncio ‘Jun’ Evasco clarified his position in barring the Philippine National Red Cross from distributing relief packs in his quake-torn town in Bohol, saying he was all for centralization of the relief effort while at the same time shunning dole-outs.
In a phone interview with Davao Today, the former chief of staff of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said, “I’m not against the Red Cross for they have their role. What I’m against at is having people think they are Messiah, that they are arrogant and use the people’s misery for their political interest.”
“We don’t want to become dependent on relief. That’s not the principle I want from the people. Community development should be about making people responsible for themselves and think of ways to solve their problems,” Mayor Evasco added.
Evasco earlier had an altercation with Red Cross President Richard Gordon. Red Cross secretary general Gwen Pang reportedly confirmed that Evasco stopped them from relief distribution and demanded that they instead hand over the relief goods to the local government.
“The Red Cross team came on Thursday and wanted a list of the residents. But we explained we can’t give this immediately as we had our hands full attending to the dead and injured, and also our computers,” Evasco told Davao Today.
But the Red Cross team pressed on with their relief mission causing a commotion among residents.
“I warned them about this, but they refused to listen. There was even an elderly who got hurt,” Evasco recalled.
“I wanted an equitable manner of distributing goods, so that everyone gets their share. So it was important to centralize their relief to us, because our people on the ground know the conditions,” he explained.
Both Evasco and Gordon exchanged words on that incident.
He added that at this time he doesn’t want to make enemies.
“At this time of calamities, we need to unite. I need all the friends I can find. And not make enemies. But those who cannot help, please stop raising protests and respect us,” Evasco said.
Afraid to go home
A week after the earthquake leveled their houses and destroyed roads and its bridge, folks of Maribojoc town in Bohol are still afraid to go back to their houses as aftershocks are still happening.
“No one still wants to go back to their homes; there are still aftershocks,” said the third-termer mayor.
Many of the town’s 20,459 residents are living in tents and evacuation centers, as city engineers are assessing the damages of their houses, including Evasco’s house that was partially damaged.
“They (the engineers) have to check which houses are stable, and which ones can no longer be salvaged and have to be demolished,” Evasco said.
He added that, “Even I am afraid to go back to my house.”
Evasco is now residing at his brother’s house, but most of his time now is tied up to the temporary operation center in the town’s fire department taking charge of the town’s post-disaster management.
Evasco added that all efforts are made to help relief efforts, with priests, barangay officials and volunteers monitoring and ensuring residents are given relief goods.
“Our problem has been food, we are now dependent on relief,” Evasco said, saying the best they did is to “involve everyone to ensure an organized relief effort”.
The mayor said the collapse of the town’s bridge and crumbling of the roads has hindered relief efforts from reaching the town.
“You can only reach the town by helicopter or by the river, which is quite deep at 30 meters,” he said.
But he said the Department of Public Works and Highways and volunteer engineers have been working to restore the main road in Abacan.
“This is the first time we got hit by such a big earthquake. Usually it’s the typhoons that hit us. But this one has destroyed everything. Everything is ground zero in Maribojoc,” Evasco said.
He said even the historic church in Maribojoc, “a place where many people held baptisms, weddings and funerals, has been destroyed.” He added.
He said they recorded 19 dead and 30 injured during the calamity.
“We need all the help we can get. I’m still mulling what plans to propose to the national government,” he told Davao Today.
Jumpstart
One proposal he wanted to raise is for banks to provide soft-loans for housing projects especially for the poor.
“We need a jumpstart such as rebuilding their houses, for without houses there won’t be a sustained rebuilding ahead,” he said.
Evasco said he was grateful by the relief coming from fellow Boholanos “and those who sincerely identified with our pain.”
He is also wanted to extend thanks to Davao City officials and civic groups who donated relief goods and money, citing that City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte went to Maribojoc to turn over P 1-million cash assistance.
“I am thankful that there are people who did not forget, those from the civic groups, churches and the City Council for allocating for our town P1-million out of the P18.5 million donation to Bohol. And to former Mayor Inday Sara who brought three choppers full of relief,” Evasco said.
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