Former Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, who is running for senator in this year’s elections, yesterday visited the Mandaue City fire victims and distributed relief goods to the 2,238 families temporarily staying at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) grounds.
This, despite the Commission on Elections (Comelec) prohibition against candidates giving donations or gifts, in cash or kind, during the campaign season.
“That’s why I’m not wearing anything political,” said Gordon, who was wearing a blue Red Cross T-shirt, when told about the Comelec prohibition.
“I’m here as the PRC (Philippine Red Cross) chairman,” he said.
The relief goods given to the fire victims were from the PRC and contained canned goods, personal hygiene items, blankets and towels.
Aside from that, Gordon also promised, as PRC chief, to provide more tents for the victims and offered to help the Mandaue City government in building houses for the victims.
Gordon said that this should not be the situation for the convention center and the fire victims.
“Makikita mo may mga bahay na. Convention centers should be used as convention centers. The fire victims should be given a relocation site, or they should be allowed to return to their place,” he said
He, however, said that he didn’t propose anything to the Mandaue City officials but he offered to help build the houses.
He said that he just showed Mandaue City Administrator James Abadia the houses that PRC built for calamity victims.
Gordon said that PRC can build 150 houses in a day.
“We work fast and if they have the land, we can work this together and we can build more houses,” he said.