TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Dec. 12 (PNA) — Administrative sanctions await village officials that were caught repacking the relief goods distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) instead of giving them directly to its intended recipients.
City Administrator John Tecson Lim issued this statement Thursday in view of recurring complaints that some of the relief goods dispensed by the DSWD have not landed in the hands of calamity-stricken families.
“Sa ating mga kababayan, gusto naming i-assure na aaksyunan namin ito. In fact, we have gotten the ball rolling and we will be taking action against these barangay captains who have already been caught repacking these relief goods,” Lim told reporters here.
Republic Act 10121 or the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act strictly prohibits the repacking of goods, equipment, or other aid commodities into containers with different markings to make it appear that they came from another agency or persons.
Local officials caught violating this provision would be issued a show-cause order, Lim said, in accordance with the principles of due process as required by the law.
In line with this, the city government of Tacloban, through its City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office, has made adjustments in the relief distribution system which is expected to be implemented two days from now.
“Ang ating CSWD ay gumagawa na ng bagong sistema na kung saan lalagyan ng schedule ang pag-distribute ng relief goods para diretso na sa tao ‘yung mga nakukuha natin sa DSWD at mga donor. So warning na rin po ito sa ating mga kapitan at mga barangay officials to please be wary of this matter,” Lim said.
As of December 11 (Wednesday), the DSWD has already distributed a total of P2,964,067 worth of family food packs to displaced families in Tacloban City and Eastern Samar on its eighth to ninth cycle of delivery.
DSWD officer-in-charge Nestor Ramos said they continue to deploy workers on the ground to further assess other complaints from the people and ensure that the commodities they deliver are indeed coming to their beneficiaries. (PNA)