The administrator of Caloocan City government has issued clarifications regarding the relief goods piling at one of the city's high schools following concerns expressed by another city official.
Oliver Hernandez said in a statement posted on Mayor Oca Malapitan’s Facebook page that the boxes of foods and sacks of rice stored at Caloocan High School are reserved for emergency situations such as community lockdowns and for evacuees during calamities.
This came after Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Egay Erice posted a video on his Facebook account showing "many relief goods" at the said school. According to his "friends who are teachers there, it has been months since they are stock up and definitely, many of them are already expired."
"Nanghihinayang ako dahil sa dami ng nagugutom nating kababayan. Sayang naman kung mabubulok ang mga ito habang daang milyon ang inutang ng pamahalaang lungsod para mabili ito (I believe this is not right since a lot of our constituents are hungry. It will be wasteful if these goods will only get expired considering that the local government borrowed hundreds of millions of money to buy them)," Erice said, adding that "the Commission on Audit should look into this."
But Hernandez took defense on behalf of the local government, saying "they are called stockpile inventory." He also even asked those who are putting the local government in bad light to stop playing the game of politics.
“Pangkaraniwan po para sa mga lokal na pamahalaan ang pagkakaroon ng mga naka-imbak na relief goods upang handa ang Pamahalaang Lungsod na mag-abot ng tulong sa mga mamamayan nito sa oras ng kalamidad at hindi bibili kung kailan may sakuna na (It's common for a local government to stock relief goods so that it is prepared to extend assistance to its residents and no need to buy ones whenever there is a calamity),” he said.
“Ang mga relief goods sa Caloocan High School ang patunay na ang Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Caloocan ay patuloy na tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan at handa ito sa oras ng kalamidad o pagsubok lalo't mayroon pa ring banta ng COVID-19 (The relief goods at Caloocan High School are only proof that the local government continues to respond to the needs of its constituents and that it is ready in case of calamity or challenges, especially now that there's still threat of COVID-19),” he added.
While Hernandez said they cannot give away all they have stored now as they should be prepared should there be emergency situations, he assured his constituents that the safety for consumption of the relief goods is not compromised as they “are monitoring their expiration dates” and implementing “First In, First Out” policy.