By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 12/09/2013 1:31 PM | Updated as of 12/09/2013 3:52 PM
MANILA – Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Monday accused the national government of engaging in partisan politics by failing to conduct rescue operations immediately after super typhoon “Yolanda†(international code name Haiyan) ravaged the city.
Speaking before the post-disaster assessment at the Senate, Romualdez said his pleas to national government officials to deploy more soldiers to Tacloban were ignored despite reports of widespread looting in the city.
He said he was unable to talk to President Aquino during the latter’s first visit to Tacloban last November 10, two days after the typhoon hit.
He said he told Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras that he needed more footsoldiers to assess the damage left behind by “Yolanda†and to rescue possible survivors in the wreckage.
“Many sitios and barangays were only accessible by foot. People were feeling frustrated seeing all these military planes and trucks and yet yung mga patay nila katabi nila. Yung mga naririnig nila mga boses na pwede pang ma i-rescue. There was never, ever any rescue up to today,†he said.
“Constantly, as the days went on I was asking for support, more footsoldiers to scour the area, to secure the places and conduct a rescue of the people. I was never given that,†he added.
He said he asked President Aquino and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to augment the police force.
“Hindi na augment ang security ng Tacloban City, tinanggal pa yung chief of police,†he said, referring to the decision to relieve Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria, chief of Philippine National Police Region 8, of duty.
The PNP said Soria was relieved of duty due to stress after he said that an estimated 10,000 people died in Leyte due to the typhoon.
In the briefing, Romualdez said he had “difficulty communicating†with the national government officials because “there were things asked of us .â€
“They wanted an ordinance immediately for a curfew. And I said: it is difficult to have an ordinance for a curfew because we have no fiscal’s office, no court. If these people violate the curfew and be arrested, how can they post bail? Why don’t we just have checkpoints? And this went on and on, and yet every day. We were meeting every day, every morning. I could not understand why we could not get that support,†he said.
He said that in one meeting, Roxas asked him to “legalize everything†by passing an ordinance allowing the national government to conduct relief and rescue efforts in the city.
“I told him: why is it illegal? As far as I know, the President is the president of the Philippines and he is also president of Tacloban City. I don’t see anywhere in the law, that you need a letter or ordinance from me for you to come in and do what you are doing,†he said.
“He answered me: ‘You have to remember: we have to be very careful because you are a Romualdez and the president is an Aquino,’†he added.
Full report here :
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/09/13/tacloban-mayor-blasts-pnoy-mar-politicking-after-storm 
