TACLOBAN CITY—A regional political party in Eastern Visayas said voters should be circumspect about how candidates acted in the aftermath of Typhoon “Yolanda” which flattened the region on Nov. 8, 2013.
“Voters should ensure that this upcoming election will be defined by what happened during typhoon Yolanda,” said Jude Acidre, first nominee of Tingog Sinirangan party-list.
“In choosing our next leaders, it is important to ask, who were there? Who were the ones nowhere to be found? Instead of the help, leadership and compassion we expected from those who said and promised to champion us, we were snubbed,” Acidre added.
According to Acidre, Typhoon “Yolanda,” which killed over 6,000 people in Tacloban and nearby towns in Leyte, has become “an issue of political integrity.”
“We were ignored. We were betrayed. We expected them to speak for us, but they remained silent. When we were sidelined, they chose to stand with their political allies rather than the people they promised to represent,” he added.
Acidre, however, didn’t mention particular politicians or officials in his statement.
“Where were they when we needed them most? Why? When they were not in our time of greatest need, how can we trust them to lead our region out of poverty?” Acidre asked.
Acidre who was working in Manila during the height of the typhoon immediately led massive relief works to the region through the International Emergency and Development Aid humanitarian organization which he served as former country director.