Families displaced by the fire in Barangays Guizo and Mantuyong in Mandaue City will not be allowed to return until reblocking and site development of the fire site are complete. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The Mandaue city government deleted the names of 140 persons from the master list of fire victims in Barangays Guizo and Mantuyong.
This after the city government received reports from residents who were affected by the March 12 fire that there were people whom they don’t know getting food packs and relief goods. The affected families are taking temporary shelter at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) grounds.
Roger Paller, Mandaue City Public Information Officer, said those who were removed from the list came from other barangays in Mandaue and some even came from Cebu City.
“Naghimo mig validation sa atong listahan. Among nadiskobrehan mga taw nga nagpahimolos sa situation mao na naa tay nakuha nga 140 (We conducted a validation and discovered that there were a lot of people who took advantage of the situation so we delisted at least 140 people),” Paller said. From 2,362 families, the list was reduced to 2,222.
Paller said some of the delisted beneficiaries were also double entries, which means that a certain family had two or more disaster assistance family access cards (DAFAC).
The card is used as access to relief goods or assistance coming from the city government. Paller said they were confused and shocked as to how these families got two or more cards. Fake claimants also got cards.
“But it is possible that right after the fire they immediately lined up for the access card. Because from the start we were not strict in giving the cards. We gave cards as long as they will be listed. So posible nakalusot to,” he said.
Paller said that they are still validating the master list and it is possible that more persons will be delisted.
Paller said those fake fire victims were not staying at CICC. They only went to CICC during the distribution of food packs or relief goods coming from the city government or private sectors. Paller said no one resisted when the cards were confiscated from the double entry families and fake fire victims.
No sanction will be imposed on the double entries and those pretending to be fire victims.
“Part sa risgo dili gyud ta ka control. With all the good intentions wala maabot sa atong huna huna nga naay fake (Part of the risk that we cannot control it. With all the good intentions, it didn’t occur to us that there would be fake fire victims),” he said.
The city government has shelled out P5 million for food, relief goods and other expenses for those fire victims living at the CICC grounds. Meanwhile, Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO) chief Tony Pet Juanico said affected families will still remain at CICC until reblocking and site development of the fire site are completed.
Families may return to the fire site but only owners of structures will be allotted an area to rebuild their homes. Renters and sharers will not be given an area once the reblocking is complete. However, renters and sharers will receive financial assistance worth P5,000 from the city government.