Village chiefs push probe on ‘ghost’ aid for typhoon victims

A GROUP of barangay chairmen trooped to the City Hall on Apr. 25 to deliver a petition urging the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) to conduct an investigation regarding the failed distribution of construction materials promised to their constituents allegedly by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

The offer for the construction materials came weeks after super typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas including Ormoc. According to Ramon Conopio, village chief of San Jose, some barangay campaign coordinators identified with Rep. Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez went from house to house urging families to fill up a form.

“The said groups, who were allegedly representing Congresswoman Lucy Gomez and her husband Richard Gomez, claimed that the said assistance is already ready for distribution and disseminated two forms to be hurriedly filled up by our constituents as a precondition for the release of the assistance,” the petition reads.

The two-page form, carrying the heading “Serbisyong Gomez sa Ormoc NHA Housing Beneficiary” and bearing the “Seribisyong Gomez” logo, instructed the applicants to list down materials needed for housing repair except cement worth not exceeding P5,000 per household.

Conopio said he and his constituents filled up the form considering they were desperate for assistance that time. He also learned that the same was done in other barangays. It has been more than two years and the thousands who filled up the forms haven’t heard of the offered assistance since then.

The matter has also been a subject of news reports and discussions in radio broadcasts but the Gomez camp has been mum about the issue. The barangay officials are concerned that the filled up forms bearing the applicants’ personal and family details, pictures and signatures might be used for illegal and anomalous purposes.

“We are begging the City Council to conduct an immediate investigation of the aforesaid matter and determine the responsible people behind this orchestrated deception against our constituents and secure back the forms that they have filled up,” the petition, signed by 72 barangay chairmen, concludes.

GIDUWAAN SA YAWA? Ramon Conopio, barangay chairman of San Jose, submits to the 13th Sangguniang Panlungsod their petition seeking an investigation on the undelivered construction materials promised by campaign coordinators identified with Rep. Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez after super typhoon Yolanda.