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August 6, 2014
Yolanda Rehab Czar Panfilo Lacson: ‘My Job Is Done.’
DURING his State of the Nation Address last July 28, President Benigno Aquino III expressed hope that the next leader of the land would continue his program of government.
And who would be next? First on the list of who Aquino might anoint is Mar Roxas who gave way for PNoy to be Liberal Party candidate for president in 2010.
Then, super typhoon Yolanda howled on November 8, 2013. One month after, on December 10, 2013, Aquino installed Panfilo Lacson as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.
Those who think politics have then added Lacson’s name among the list of presidentiables.
A Philippine Military Academy graduate, with a Master’s degree in Government Management, Lacson hogged the headlines when as director general of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and head of presidential anti-crime task forces, he was linked to two high-profile criminal cases: in 1995, the killing of 11 members of the crime syndicate Kuratong Baleleng, and in 2000, the murder of publicist Salvador ‘Bubby’ Dacer who at the time was working on documents about stock manipulation, and his driver Emmanuel Corbito. Lacson left the country before charges were filed against him.
In time, the Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of lower courts to dismiss both cases against Lacson.
In 2001, Lacson ran for senator and won, later taking pride of his decision not to use his portion of the Priority Development Assistant Fund (PDAF), and his campaign to abolish the pork barrel.
Lacson ran for President in the 2004 elections where Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was proclaimed winner.
As senator, Lacson filed resolutions favoring the Reproductive Health bill and the Sin tax, as well as reforms in the police force and armed forces, and against terrorism, and graft and corruption, including alleged election sabotage.
So is he good and ready to run again for President in 2016?
Rehab Czar Panfilo Lacson with Deedee Siytangco, Bulong Pulungan moderator
At the Bulong Pulungan media forum last Tuesday, Panfilo Lacson only blushed at the mention of the president buzz, insisting that at the moment, he only thinks Yolanda.
Lacson talked about his Master Rehabilitation Plan for Yolanda survivors which he presented to President Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque, where the President attended a Mass commemorating the fifth death anniversary of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, on August 1, 2014.
Excerpts:
What is your Master Plan?
It’s an 8,000-page, eight-volume document. I wanted to give it to President Aquino on August 1, the fifth death anniversary of his mother. We already had the Plan much earlier, but it took a while to finish the printing—the last 72 hours (before August 1).
People ask me why we submitted the Plan only now—why it took us nine months (since the devastation on November 8, 2013) to come up with the Plan, which requires P175 billion (to be implemented).
I’d like to point out that Yolanda hit not only Tacloban. Our Plan included other provinces—what we call the Yolanda Corridor which includes 171 cities, 14 provinces, and 6 regions, and affected 918,158 persons.
Remember, Yolanda was the strongest typhoon that ever hit (the world). But we were told we came up with this comprehensive plan faster than other areas hit by major disasters, such as New Orleans (hit by Hurricane Katrina) and Aceh, Indonesia (hit by tsunami).
We worked with the United Nations and the United States Agency for International Development.
What was your priority?
The President appointed me on December 10, 2013. On December 13, I visited the area. You see, Yolanda made several landfalls– first in Guiuan, Samar, then Leyte, Cebu, Iloilo, and last in Palawan.
The death toll was 6,300 persons.
The papers said it’s 8,000.
We base our statistics on what’s provided by the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council). We validated the data.
What was your initial reaction during your inspection?
When I saw the magnitude of the devastation, I said, “Diyos ko po, ano itong napasukan. God what did I get myself into.”
But I went there with two urban planner experts– Danny Antonio and Jun Palafox. And they told me the task was daunting but it’s doable.
What were the major challenges?
First, logistics.
And politics?
Yes. But I had a meeting with Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez (a relative of former First Lady Imelda Romuldez Marcos, wife of former President Ferdinand Marcos, a political rival of former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., father of President Aquino).
I told Mayor Romualdez I am color-blind in politics. Tacloban will be attended to in the same way the other areas hit (would be served).
Of course, the first to submit their proposals would be the first to be attended to.
What are the components of the Plan?
Livelihood, infrastructure, social services, resettlement, gender sensitivity needs, disaster preparedness, climate change and other environmental concerns.
Yolanda felled 16 million coconut trees. If we re-plant, it will take years before the people can make use of them. So we suggested to plant crops like ginger, garlic.
As for resettlement, the no-build zone within 40 meters from the coastline is not practical So we determined the safe, unsafe, and controlled areas.
We worked according to the President’s instructions — Build Back Better– which envisions that what we would build would be an improvement of the devastated areas better than they were before Yolanda came.
What impressed you most about your job?
Despite what they went through, the people welcomed us, and they were smiling, even as we had not yet done anything.
I was touched by the raw heroism of the people.
One story was about this family who was a beneficiary of the Cash for Work program. They returned the extra cash that they felt they didn’t deserve because they were able to work less than the number of days they were supposed to work.
What will happen now?
It will now be up to the government agencies and local governments to implement the plan. My task was to come up with the plan. My job is done– unless the Presinet assigns me another task.
What are your plans for 2016?
Ask me no question and I will tell you no lies.
–Cynthia U. Santiago Photos by Edmundo L. Santiago
C! People
Last Tuesday, Bulong Pulungan greeted Jun Icban, Manila Bulletin editor-in-chief, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! So robust at 79!
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