By BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat.com
Learning from the impact of typhoon Ondoy, which hit the country hard
two years ago, President Benigno Aquino III, upon assuming the
presidency, sacked the chief of Pagasa, the country’s weather bureau,
and declared a “zero casualty policy” in the government’s response to
natural calamities. When relatively mild storms hit the country
successively, Malacañang gloated over the “success” of its “zero
casualty policy.” However, when typhoon Pedring hit the country
September 27, Malacañang had to eat its words.
Typhoon Pedring had claimed the lives of 35 people (as of September
29), half of them children, injured 25 others and 33 are still missing.
Now, Malacañang is singing a different tune.
“Kahit may paghahanda po tayo, meron at meron pong nangyayaring
ganito. Ang pwede pong gawin ng pamahalaan ay siguraduhin hanggang sa
aming makakaya yung kasiguruhan ng mga taong madadaanan o maapektuhan po
ng ganitong kalamidad,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte was quoted in an ABS-CBN news report as saying.
Valte was also quoted in a news report of Inquirer.net explaining
that the Aquino government did not fall short in its response and did
not fail in its “zero casualty policy”: “There are those who ask us why
‘zero casualty’ is often the policy of the Aquino government… This is
really what we call force majeure. Even if there are preparations, there
really would be [casualties].”.... MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/09/30/benjie-oliveros-a-question-of-poverty-and-vulnerability/
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