Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo is appealing to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to release the remainder of the multi-million pesos calamity fund that he had pledged for the province to aid flood victims due to Tropical Sendong in late 2011 that left massive devastation in its trail.
As this developed, at least two petitions from constituents of Sibulan, Negros Oriental are also appealing to the President to release the remainder of the calamity funds as they expressed concern over their safety in the wake of massive flooding in other parts of the country. The petitioners fear that the next strong typhoon to hit Negros Oriental would put their lives at risk again.
Hundreds of residents mostly living on the banks of the Okoy River claim that with the onset of the rainy season, they experience sleepless nights fearing the river would again overflow and flashfloods would result from continuous heavy rains.
The call for the President to stand by his word when he earlier pledged the financial assistance for Negros Oriental comes in the wake of a developing controversy over the recent announcement of the Commission on Audit declaring “illegal” the first tranche of the funding that the provincial government had used to implement disaster management projects as stipulated in the program of work submitted to the national government.
An irate and frustrated Gov. Degamo told reporters he believes that his political detractors are allegedly behind the latest controversy shrouding his administration.
The controversy stems from the COA announcement, which was published in a national daily, that the use of the first half of the fund was “illegal”. Degamo describes the act as politically motivated.
Earlier, the provincial government had received P480.5 million representing half of the total calamity fund for the province to be used for disaster relief and management projects following the onslaught of “Sendong”.
However, the Department of Budget and Management had issued a so-called negative Special Allotment Release Order, which was the basis of COA for telling the governor the projects implemented with the use of the said funds were illegal.
Gov. Degamo is hoping that the President will intervene in the mounting controversy over the calamity funds for Negros Oriental as people’s lives are at stake especially when disaster strikes.
The program of work that was submitted to the national government for the said funding included the construction of river dikes, re-channeling and other similar projects to avoid future flooding of rivers and the dislocation of families especially in the low-lying areas. (PNA)
