Roxas appreciates Tacloban mayor’s thanks, apology

Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas expressed his appreciation for Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez's expression of gratitude for the national government's assistance to the city after super typhoon Yolanda hit in November 2013.

In a forum with local entrepreneurs on Tuesday in Makati City, Roxas said that he appreciated the mayor's speech during the commemoration of super Typhoon Yolanda in the city but stressed he is not after vindication.

Romualdez also apologized for the criticisms against the national government over the latter's response after the typhoon hit and destroyed most of Eastern Visayas.

"I appreciate the sentiment, the comment but vindication for me is not something that I look forward to. I know what I did, I know that I was there the day before Yolanda," the LP presidential bet said.

On November 8, Romualdez thanked the national government including President Benigno Aquino III for helping them when Yolanda hit Tacloban City two years ago.

He also asked for forgiveness from the national government for all the hurtful remarks he said during that time. He added that they were never ungrateful to the help extended to them.

Roxas added that he was just doing his job as the Interior Secretary at that time.

"And so at the end always just do the right thing because there are always going to be people who let's say half empty, there will always be people that will say half full but if you do as I did, you do your job, do it well, do it professionally then at the end of the day that's all you can hold on to," he said.

At the height of the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts for Yolanda survivors in 2013, Romualdez tearfully complained that Tacloban received no help from the national government during a Senate inquiry.

He also claimed that when national and local officials discussed relief and rehabilitation efforts after the typhoon hit, Roxas told him: "We have to be very careful because you are a Romualdez and the president is an Aquino."

Later in a congressional inquiry Roxas said in front of Romualdez that he was aware of the "reality" that the surnames of the mayor and the President may come into play and create "problems."

For Roxas, he said that he was only stating facts.

"Kasi totoo po. Tingnan po niyo ang nangyari ngayon... Tanggap ko po ang realidad na puwede magkaproblema," he said.

Romualdez is the nephew of Imelda Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino's father, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated on his return from exile in 1983 during the Marcos presidency.   -Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News