Drilon, Lacson agree ‘missing in action’ mayors should be held accountable

At least two senators agree that the mayors who were ‘missing in action’ during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong should be held accountable for negligence.

On Wednesday, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon wondered why the local officials were in Manila when their areas were on the direct path of the supertyphoon.

“The mayors should be held to account. Bakit nandito sila sa Maynila habang yung kanilang mga lalawigan at munisipyo ay dinadaan ng bagyo,” Drilon told reporters.

“To me, that is gross neglect and they should be investigated,” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, said the decision of the municipal mayors to leave their constituents show their insensitivity.

“Negligence or parang being insensitive. Kasi araw-araw nakakarinig tayo ng kalatas sa DOST, sinasabi ito ang bagyo malakas tapos aalis ka sa bayan mo? Ako, kung hindi justified, unless talagang life and death situation kaya siya nawala sa kanyang bayan dapat talaga papanagutin ang mayor na wala sa kanyang lugar noong nangyari ang bagyo,” he said in a separate interview.

Asked if the local officials should be removed from their posts, Lacson said he will let the Department of the Interior and Local Government to make the decision.

“Let’s leave it to the DILG. Sila nakakasakop,” he said.

The DILG is now investigating 10 municipal mayors from Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) who were physically absent when Ompong hit the country. 

The names of the local officials were not divulged to avoid trial by publicity. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News