Duterte blames law for delayed response to typhoon victims

PRESIDENT DUTERTE said Congress and the next administration should exert effort to repeal the law hindering the immediate declaration of state of calamity to save lives and ease the misery of the people.

He blamed the law that hindered him from immediately declaring a state of calamity in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Odette (Rai). Duterte did not cite any specific law, but claimed that “a law covering the chief executive’s power to declare a state of calamity is based on the assessment and evaluation by disaster agencies on the ground.”

“Ang problema ‘yung assessment pati ‘yung evaluation or even just the declare, maghintay ng report ‘yan… bago ako makagalaw. And that is really so many provisions in the law that would hinder the government to just act immediately because I said there has to be — before the declaration, there has to be an evaluation and the assessment of damage,” he said.

For better post-calamity response, Duterte advised Congress to repeal the current law governing state of calamity declaration by the President. “That law should be changed. And it behooves upon this Congress, if they want to, or the next President, may I advise: try to repeal the law so that the government — there is already the warning, hindi na kailangan ng assessment,” he said.

Opposition lawmakers blamed Duterte for the delayed aid to those affected by the calamity.

Duterte declared a state of calamity on the areas affected by the typhoon on December 21 under Proclamation No. 1267.

A declaration of a state of calamity expedites rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts of the government as well as the private sector. It imposes price control on basic goods and commodities and directs all departments, local government units, and government’s uniformed forces to do their part in relief and rescue operations, among others.

Based on the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council report, the typhoon left at least 389 people dead and 1,146 injured and 64 others missing. The typhoon also affected over 4.2 million people and displaced 570,906 residents, and damaged 506,404 houses. Authorities put the damage to agriculture and infrastructure at P5.3 billion and P16.7 billion, respectively. (Mindanao Examiner)