Palace: No ‘red tape’ in release of ‘Yolanda’ rehab funds

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. (Photo by Robert Viñas/Rodolfo Manabat/Malacanang Photo Bureau)

MANILA — There is no “red tape” behind the release of funds for typhoon “Yolanda” rehabilitation, Malacanang said on Sunday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said this in reaction to the statement by Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez saying that red tape slowed down rehab efforts.

Romualdez insisted that there was red tape and confusion with the national government’s release of funds (including cash donations from international and local groups) to calamity-hit local government units.

“We are following a policy. First, the creation of post-disaster needs assessment because this is the policy under the law—the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act,” Coloma said.

The PCOO chief said that rehab czar Panfilo Lacson himself said that a plan has been developed for provinces affected by Yolanda.

Also, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte earlier said that she recently saw P32 billion released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in mid-May for post calamity efforts.

Coloma further noted that the government will continue to live up to its mandate of addressing the needs of those affected by Yolanda which wreaked havoc to most part of the Visayas Region in November last year.