House lawmakers earmark P9.25-M aid for Mindanao earthquake victims

The House of Representatives has earmarked P9.25 million worth of assistance for the victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Sarangani and devastated nearby provinces this week, House Assistant Minority Leader Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list said.

Diokno made the announcement at the sidelines of the press conference of the House prosecutors wherein they revealed the names of 10 private prosecutors for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“This P9.29 million came from 139 lawmakers, including the House prosecutors for the impeachment trial of the Vice President. This only shows that hindi nakakaligtaan ng mga mambabatas ang kanilang tungkulin na tumulong sa biktima ng lindol sa Mindanao,” Diokno said in a press conference.

(This only shows that lawmakers remember their duty to help the victims of the earthquake in Mindanao.)

“We are multi-tasking, and we are doing everything that we have to do properly and efficiently,” he added.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of Isabela, meanwhile, led the House of Representatives delegation to General Santos City and Sarangani Province to assess the impact of the recent earthquake on Thursday.

During the visit, Dy announced that the House would shoulder the medical expenses of all individuals injured as a result of the earthquake, whether they are receiving treatment in government or private hospitals.

In addition, the Speaker also assured affected families that additional assistance would be mobilized to help communities recover from the disaster. —VAL, GMA News