Mindanao - Northern Mindanao || X Emano wants PNoy adviser to blame Iligan mayor, too
Emano wants PNoy adviser to blame Iligan mayor, too
Saturday, 28 January 2012 00:00
MAYOR Vicente Emano has lambasted presidential adviser on environment Nereus Acosta over his pronouncements about the culpablity of city hall in connection with last month's Typhoon Sendong disaster. Emano said he felt that he was being singled out. In a press statement, Emano said it was unfair that Acosta did not criticize Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz during a forum at Xavier University last week. Sendong, he said, also caused thousands of deaths in Iligan. He pointed out that Cruz is a party mate of Acosta in the Liberal Party. "Nahibulong ako kay nganong ako ra man ang iyang gihilabtan nga parehas ra man ang kahimtang ug isyu dinhi sa Cagayan de Oro ug Iligan," Emano said.
During the Xavier forum, Acosta said the Emano administration failed to heed the warning of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) that certain areas in the city flanking the riverbanks are geohazard zones. These areas include communities where the "pisopiso" program of the city government has been institutionalized.
It was not the first time for the Cagayan de Oro government to take the flak. It was also sharply criticized for the way it handled the December crisis. Dr. Prospero de Vera, vice president for public affairs of the University of the Philippines' National Center for Public Administration and Governance Center for Policy and Executive Development, earlier said the efficiency of the Iligan government was a big contrast to Cagayan de Oro's disorganized government that blocked efforts to help from concerned groups.
Said de Vera: "Cagayan de Oro is in shambles because of the local government." A party-list group congressman, Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, wrote: "Local government makes a difference. The contrast is made between Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro. In Dumaguete, one DILG official observed, community leaders and organizations were mobilized to meet the oncoming storm after Pagasa issued its warnings, while only few local officials were alerted for action in Cagayan de Oro City. Indeed, in the aftermath of the catastrophe, so hapless is the Cagayan de Oro city government that civil society organizations have filled the vacuum in the rescue and relief efforts. At the center of this effort is Xavier University, where we saw goods pouring in from other parts of the country as well as from international organizations being received and distributed by an impressive, well-organized effort involving hundreds of volunteers."
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