Abalos denies national government neglected Mindanao amid Paeng

The national government did not neglect Mindanao amid the impact of Tropical Storm Paeng, Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said on Monday.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Abalos pointed out that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has its own government and ministries responding to disaster.

“Hindi po. Hindi naman totoo po 'yun. Dapat maunawaan natin ang structure of government, may structure tayo (That’s not true. We should understand the structure of the government.)

Abalos said, for example, the BARMM has its own Ministry of the Interior and Local Government.

Nevertheless, he said the national government is ready to help the Bangsamoro government if they ask for assistance.

“Tinatanong nga namin kahapon kung ano ang kailangan nila, ang sabi ng taga-BARRM, ay wala raw silang kailangan pa sa ngayon. They would exhaust all their resources kung meron saka raw sila magsasabi,” the DILG chief said.

(We were asking them yesterday what they needed. BARMM officials said they do not need anything at this point. They would exhaust all their resources, if they needed something, they would tell us. )

Abalos said the national government’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) already provided food packs to the affected region.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also lent its desalination machines to affected local government units in BARMM.

Senator Robin Padilla on Sunday visited BARMM to "determine what needs to be done to help residents" affected by Tropical Cyclone Paeng.

Although the flights to Mindanao were canceled due to the inclement weather, the lawmaker joined officials who flew to BARMM namely Abalos, Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo, Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr., and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo.

As of 6 a.m. on Monday, the reported death toll due to Paeng was 98, while 63 people were reported missing and 69 were reported injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Most of the fatalities were reported in BARMM with 53 deaths.—with Hana Bordey/AOL/KBK, GMA News