Bam Aquino blames corruption, greed on deaths, destruction of 'Uwan,' 'Tino'
At A Glance
- "Corruption and greed are deadly. They are to blame for the loss of so many lives, destruction of property, and loss of livelihood of many of our countrymen," Sen. Paolo "Bam" Aquino IV said.
Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Tuesday, November 11 said corruption and greed are the main reason there were hundreds of casualties during the onslaught of Typhoons Tino and Uwan.
Aquino made the remark following reports of massive destruction left by both typhoons in various parts of the country. More than 200 reportedly perished in the twin typhoons.
He cited the reported billions of pesos allotted for flood control projects in Cebu province that failed to protect residents from severe flooding, raising suspicions of substandard construction and misuse of funds.
“Corruption and greed are deadly. They are to blame for the loss of so many lives, destruction of property, and loss of livelihood of many of our countrymen,” Aquino said.
“If these projects had been done properly, they would have certainly provided the right protection to our countrymen in Cebu. But it seems that the welfare of the people has been set aside for the personal interests of a few corrupt people in the government,” he stressed.
Unchecked greed, he also said, led to the destruction of forest areas that could have served as natural protection against floods.
“Because of greed, forests that could have helped prevent flooding and provided additional protection to our countrymen have been cleared,” he said.
Aside from accountability, Aquino said long-term reforms should be done to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“It is important to lay down long-term solutions to the recurring flooding so that what happened in Cebu and other parts of the country will not happen again,” Aquino emphasized.
“Those behind the anomalous and botched flood control projects must also be held accountable. The blood of those who died in this disaster is on their hands because of their corruption and greed,” he stressed.