Pablo victims sought Casiño’s help a day before DSWD attack

MANILA, Philippines – Leftist senatorial candidate Teodoro Casiño was only addressing them in Davao City on Monday, February 25, listening to their grievances against the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Casiño promised the members of Barug Katawhan – a group of Typhoon Pablo survivors who were holding a picket outside the DSWD-Davao City office – that he would relay their issues to DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman. 

But the typhoon victims couldn’t wait for Casiño to act. The following day, they attacked the DSWD office, destroyed its gate, and carted off sacks of rice and cartons of sardines.

Soliman said they will pursue legal actions against them. (READ: DSWD will take legal action vs Barug Katawhan)

Casiño is now calling on Soliman to junk her plan to file cases against those who ransacked the DSWD office. He said they were only “driven by desperation to forcibly take relief goods from the DSWD regional office in Davao City.”

“Gutom na nga, may kaso pa. Nasaan ang puso ng ating mga opisyal?” said Casiño.

Contrary to the claim of DSWD that they offered to dialogue with the typhoon victims, Casiño argued that nobody was attending to the concerns of the typhoon survivors.

“I think what triggered it was that no one from the DSWD was negotiating with them. I was informed that by Tuesday morning there was still no response. Willing naman yung mga tao magpalista para makuha na nila yung relief goods basta ba may haharap sa kanila nang maayos,” Casiño said. – Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler.com