Senator Erwin Tulfo on Sunday urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure that victims of Typhoon Tino in Cebu receive fair and proper assistance, following reports of discrimination and mislabeling in aid forms.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, expressed disappointment over recurring issues of bias in disaster response.
“Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataong nangyari ang ganitong insidente at nakakadismaya na patuloy na nagaganap ang diskriminasyon sa mga biktima ng sakuna,” he said in a statement.
The senator issued the call after a resident of Purok Isla Verde, Talisay City, reported that a barangay official had marked his flood-damaged home as only “partially damaged” on a DSWD assistance form.
A former DSWD secretary himself, Tulfo said he trusts that Secretary Rex Gatchalian will not tolerate such actions, citing the agency’s consistent and swift disaster response record.
“Double whammy na ito kung biktima na sila ng kalamidad tapos magiging biktima pa sila uli ng manipulasyon sa pamamahagi ng ayuda,” he stressed.
Tulfo also cited his pending measure, Senate Bill No. 254, or the Anti-Discrimination in the Delivery of Social Protection Programs Act, which seeks to penalize selective or biased acts by government employees in implementing aid programs.
“From the word itself, it’s an ‘aid’ for the people. So it must be given to the people and nothing less,” he added.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the death toll from Typhoon Tino has climbed to 224, with 109 still missing.
Cebu recorded the highest number of fatalities at 158, followed by Negros Occidental (27) and Negros Oriental (20), while other deaths were reported in Caraga, Capiz, Southern Leyte, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Bohol, and Leyte.