ComVal gov belies hoarding of relief goods

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 17): ComVal gov belies hoarding of relief goods

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy on Thursday belied the charges of militant protesters who barricaded the highway section in Montevista town Tuesday that local officials have been hoarding for political purpose the relief goods intended for the victims of typhoon "Pablo."

In a press conference he called Thursday morning at Molave Hotel in Tagum City, the governor said there are only remaining and excess relief goods such as rice that are stored in various affected barangays after the first round of distribution was made and are awaiting for the next distribution, thus the look that it was like being hoarded. He said he would not tolerate hoarding of relief goods and vowed he would lead in prosecuting anyone who would do it.

At the same time, Uy charged that militant organizers allegedly gypped typhoon victims who took part in last Tuesday's disruptive highway barricade when they were promised that Manny Pacquiao and Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would be coming to a gathering in Montevista to give them money and relief goods.

In the same press conference, 10th Infantry Division- Philippine Army spokesman Lt. Col. Lyndon Paneza corroborated the governor's statement that the protestors were gypped by their leaders. He said protesting victims who were not from Montevista could not go immediately home because they were ferried by buses and cargo trucks already contracted and paid by the militant organizers. Paneza said even the management of the Uy family-owned Metro Shuttle buses was gypped by the militant leaders who reportedly made an excuse that the hired units would be used by University of Mindanao students for their tree -planting activity in Montevista on that day.

The military official told reporters that most of the protesters came "not from Comval" but from Davao City, Davao Oriental and Agusan del Sur. The militant leaders from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and its allied organizations claimed to have mobilized more than 5,000 typhoon victims who barricaded the Montevista section of the Davao-Butuan national highway from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., which caused for long traffic stretching to estimated 25 kms. stranding thousands of passengers and motorists.

They protested over the alleged hoarding and hiding of relief goods for political purpose including the pilferage and swapping of quality rice with the poor-quality National Food Authority(NFA)rice by barangay and local officials, among others.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=488255