Duterte praises Zambo mayor anew for hard work

ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte praised Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco for the second time for her hard work and dedication to public service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Beng Climaco with Vice Mayor Rommel Agan.

Duterte, in a televised addressed late Monday, also praised his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sarah Carpio for the same dedication to public service.

“Si Beng pati si Inday (Carpio) talagang nagta-trabaho,” he said while addressing local government chief executives involved in the distribution of the cash emergency program or the Special Amelioration Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The program aims to provide P5,000 or to P8,000 for poor beneficiaries affected by the strict community quarantine imposed by Duterte in March to prevent the spread of the deadly respiratory disease that already killed hundreds of people and infected thousands more in the country.

Duterte said the national government through the DSWD alone cannot handle the SAP distribution to millions of beneficiaries so he tapped the local governments to help fast track the implementation of the pro-poor program.  “Dito na ako sa sa mga local governments, mga mayors. (Interior) Secretary (Eduardo) Año would provide the guidelines on how you can help, we are not asking you, we are requesting you to help us. Kasi Hindi talaga kaya ng national government lang, without the local executives patay, we will crumble, so your toil is as good as mine. Kaya sabay-sabay tayo,” he said.

The local governments designated village leaders to assist the DSWD in SAP distribution, but complaints are mounting and corruption allegations have reached Duterte who strongly warned those involved in the program not to take advantage of the health crisis or steal funds intended for the poor. “Sinabi ko na sa inyo noon huwag sa panahon ito, basta local government employees, lahat naman tayo workers eh, diretsuhin na lang natin, local government works. Sinabi ko na sa inyo na kung may (ga)gawin kayo huwag sa panahon ito,” he said.

“Alam ko noon pa sinabi ko na sa kanila na ako ay nagre-resist kasi pag dating niyan sa local government units, the mayors, pero yun mga minsan yun down to the line, downstream, wala kasing tao na sa karami thousands ito, eh we requested the local government units, mga mayors naman kindly look into the people you that you have commissioned to the distribution,” he added.

Climaco said she is humbled by Duterte’s praises. “I am just doing my job just like all other hardworking civil servants, just like Mayor Inday Sarah, just like our President. I am just following President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders,” she told the Zamboanga Post newspaper by phone.

The Zamboanga mayor previously told local village leaders to remain honest and dedicated to their job and put the welfare of their constituents first and above all. 

In August last year, Duterte also praised Climaco at the oath-taking of the newly-elected officers of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) in Malacañan Palace in Manila.  Duterte even noticed Climaco’s simple, yet beautiful blue, red and burgundy-striped blouse and a pair of electric blue pants and doll shoes while she was seated along other well-dressed mayors. 

In giving importance to dozens of mayors and officials of the Liga ng mga Barangay, Duterte said the local chief executives are tough public servants and singled out Climaco. “Yan si Beng, oh galing pa ng Zamboanga yan. (Ma)tigas ka talaga (at) bilib ako sa iyo,” Duterte told Climaco. (Zamboanga Post)

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