Media blamed for disapproved calamity aid

By Maricar M. Calubiran

One of the 15 barangay captains in Jaro district who was placed on the hot seat over the alleged bloated calamity report blamed the media for the controversy during last week's  committee hearing at the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

Barangay Capt. Jonas Bellosillo of Simon Ledesma, Jaro said they were placed in a bad light after the media doubted the number of families affected by floods last September 16. He was very vocal in blaming the media during the committee hearing called for by the committee on social services chaired by Councilor Merci Drilon-Garcia.

The committee hearing was called to probe the veracity of the report sent by City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Officer Claire Dignadice to the Sangguniang Panlungsod. She requested the city council to declare the 13 barangays in Jaro and two barangays in Lapaz under the state of calamity as there were 3,646 families or 18,230 persons affected during the September 16, 2005 “flashfloods.”

Bellosillo said it is unfair for the media to report that they were not affected by floods. He said he was hurt of the report that came out in the media. This prompted him to return the four sacks of rice he received from the CSWD.
 
He lamented that the relief assistance is not even enough to feed the families affected by floods.

In his report to the CSWD, Bellosillo said 173 families in his barangay were affected by flood.

Bellosillo received four sacks of rice from CSWD two days after the flood. However, he and three other barangay officials returned it after the media started to tackle the issue. He even claimed that even before Dignadice’s request was deliberated in the council, the media have already started  attacking them.

However, reporters covering the Iloilo City Hall beat only came to know of the CSWD report after it was deliberated on the September 21 regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The CSWD report was among the issues included in the other matters of the agenda.

In the same hearing, Dignadice said they rely primarily on the figures reported to them by the barangay captains. Of the 15 barangays, only eight barangays received assistance from the CSWD. Of the eight barangays, three of the barangay captains decided to return the relief assistance.

Digndice also explained their formula in coming up with the number of affected families and person. In the case of Simon Ledesma, they reported that 173 families were affected. The number of families is then multiplied to five, this makes 865 persons.

She however admitted that they have no clear cut guidelines on how and when a barangay should be declared under the state of calamity. They hope to arrive with specific guidelines on when to declare a barrage under the state of calamity.