Wives of Air Force officials blamed for eviction of ‘Yolanda’ victims from Villamor Air Base

From the Daily Tribune (Nov 22): Wives of Air Force officials blamed for eviction of ‘Yolanda’ victims from Villamor Air Base

Typhoon victims, who have been staying at a “tent city” at the Villamor Air Base, were evacuated again to Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), yesterday supposedly for consolidation.

Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol, spokesman for the Air Force which has jurisdiction over Villamor Air Base, said there was an instruction that came from higher headquarters to consolidate the survivors to Camp Aguinaldo, specifically at the headquarters of the AFP-Joint Task Force National Capital Region.

However, there were reports yesterday blaming some ladies from the Air Force or wives of Air Force officials for the eviction of the hundreds of evacuees at the Villamor Air Base.

Okol denied such reports.

“That’s not true…the reports that the ladies were the ones who wanted them (evacuees) out were not true,” Okol explained.

“There was instruction from the leadership to consolidate the victims at GHQ, at the Joint Task Force-NCR…they have bigger space there,” Okol added.

According to Okol, the consolidation of the survivors was part of the concerted efforts of the government, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health, to serve them.

So far, the Air Force’s C130 cargo planes, along with several foreign military aircraft, have transported about 15,000 typhoon-affected people to Villamor Air Base. Some were fetched by their relatives while others benefited from the “Oplan Hatid,” a free transport service being offered by concerned citizens.

Meanwhile, residents of northern Antique have complained of being left out by the Aquino administration in its ongoing massive relief operations in the Visayas region following the havoc wreaked by super typhoon “Yolanda.”

The Antiquenos noted that Aquino’s Presidential Proclamation No. 682 issued last Nov. 11 does not cover Antique. The proclamation declared the State of National Calamity in the provinces of Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Palawan.

“Maybe Antique is not in the Philippine map,” they lamented in an open letter addressed to Aquino posted in a social networking site.

“As if you have forgotten Antique to include in the state of calamity. Is it because we don’t have Mar Roxas? Senate President Frank Drilon or Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago?” they asked.

They said several towns in northern Antique were also devastated by the super typhoon.

At least 11 people died due to the typhoon.

Among the affected towns were Delison, Patnungon, Bugasong, Valderama, Lauan, Barbasa, Tibyao, Culasi, Pandan, Sebasti and the island municipality of Caluya.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro-section/wives-of-air-force-officials-blamed-for-eviction-of-yolanda-victims-from-villamor-air-base