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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mar: No regrets on ‘Yolanda’

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ADMINISTRATION standard bearer Manuel Roxas II on Friday said that he had no regrets about how the government handled the Yolanda tragedy in 2013 even as his opponents continued to use the issue to attack his candidacy.

“How could I regret something that helped our countrymen? How could… there’s no regret for me,” Roxas told reporters in General Santos City. 

“I went there not only because it’s my job. Our countrymen WERE there. We didn’t go home, we were there until the situation stabilized.”

In his campaign sortie in Tacloban, Vice President Jejomar Binay slammed Roxas for depicting himself as a hero during the Yolanda tragedy in a comic book distributed by his supporters.

Manuel Roxas II

Binay said that while there was no doubt that Roxas was there, his flaws were all glaring, that the response during that time was very “shameful.”

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“How shameful! Bayani sa Yolanda? Oh my god! Outstanding in incompetence,” Binay said.   

Roxas’ experience during the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” was once again put in the spotlight after copies of the comic book, “Sa Gitna ng Unos” [In the Eye of the Storm] were distributed by his supporters, saying it was commissioned “without his knowledge.”

Roxas slammed Binay, saying he only went to Tacloban to take photos when he handed over relief goods to the victims of the typhoon.   

Roxas said his rivals should stop spreading lies about the government’s response to Yolanda, which killed at least 6,000 people and rendered scores of families homeless in its aftermath.

“I was there helping in the relief efforts and I did my job as DILG in Tacloban so they should not fool the people,” he said.

He said Binay should use his campaign sorties instead to explain the string of corruption allegations he is facing.

Roxas said he was facing criticism over Yolanda because he was the only presidential candidate on the ground that time while the others were in their comfortable offices. 

    “Cannot they forget that I tripped off a motorcycle when my job only was to get to a far- flung place? Where were they during that time, in their air-conditioned rooms?” he said.

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