Suplico calls for Congressional probe on Panay-wide typhoon damage
Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico wants Malacañang and Congress to investigate the unprecedented damage brought by Typhoon Frank all over Panay Island.
Citing illegal logging and quarrying among the feared causes, the vice governor wanted the Arroyo government to take an extensive and deeper look into the concern.
"I urge the Arroyo government and Congress to investigate the causes of surging floodwaters and its accompanying mudflow. Panay does not have mining operator yet it remains as the hardest hit area. The causes must include illegal logging as logs were found in some area, the rampant illegal use of chainsaws, kaingin, deforestation, quarrying which was extensively utilized for the new P6.3 billion pesos Iloilo Airport the release of the waters of dams, including the level of disaster preparedness. We cannot afford a repeat of a calamity of the scale of Typhoon Frank which is only the 6th typhoon of the year," Suplico said.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the country's top officials are in town today for a special Cabinet meeting focused on Typhoon Frank's devastation here in Panay and Western Visayas Region.
Meantime, distribution of one-sack rice allocation for the Iloilo Provincial Government's officials and employees started yesterday.
With at least 2,000 in beneficiaries, Governor Niel Tupas gave a go-signal for the rice-aid on Capitol workers and executives. The governor made no distinction whether the beneficiary is a typhoon victim or not. At least P2 million of the calamity fund went to the Capitol workers' rice distribution as ordered by the governor.