Comelec to review rice aid to farmers

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
The good news is the Davao City Council has passed the P31.5 million assistance to the protesting farmers of Kidapawan City.
The bad news? The Commission on Election will have to review the process if it is not covered by the election ban.
The Commission on Election (Comelec) 11 will have to review the request of the city government to exempt the P31.5-million assistance for the farmers of North Cotabato from the election ban.
In yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps forum at The Ritz Hotel by Garden Oases, Comelec 11 assistant regional director Marlon Casquejo bared that as soon as his office will receive the request letter of the city government the polling office will immediately check the request if the city complied with the requirements.
Casqejo said before implementing a project or program under the prohibition should pass the requirements set under Comelec Resoution No. 991.
He said under the resolution, the program should be reported with the Commission on Audit (COA), public information and awareness, and information dissemination activities from the COA circular.
“During the distribution goods, presence of candidates or even relatives of the candidates are not allowed,” he said.
“If they comply all of these requirements then they can apply for exemption,” he said.
Casquejo said as of yesterday morning, the Comelec 11 has not yet received any letter from the city government asking for an exemption.
“Sa pagkakaron wala pa mi nadawat na letter. Pag naa na mi madawat na letter we will just try to check whether na-comply ba nila and once complied, exemptions will follow (Our office has not yet received any letter as of now. If we receive the letter we will just try to check if the city comply the requirements and once complied exemption follows),” he said.
He said the process of approval could only take short if the program is intended for calamity assistance since it is a priority measure.
Casquejo said the assistant city administrator Jhopee S. Avanceña-Agustin already asked a verbal request which he asked for a letter.
“If it will fall under the exemptions for the release of public funds the Comelec will issue an exemption,” he said.
He said the Comelec will prioritize their request and once the letter reaches their office he will immediately send to their central office for immediate action.
City Social Service and Development Office (CSSDO) head Malou Bermudo, earlier, the aid will be given to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and this group will be the one to distribute to the affected towns in North Cotabato.
Bermudo said the city also coordinated with the Municipal Social Welfare Offices in North Cotabato to have complete lists of famers who are affected with the drought.
“We will coordinate with the Municipal Social Welfare Offices because they are the ones who know the beneficiaries,” she said.
She said based on the data provided to their offices, the municipalities that are affected with the dry spell are Arakan Valley, President Roxas, Magpet, Antipas and some parts of Kidapawan City.
The City Council has approved on Tuesday the P31.5 assistance for the protesting famers who are hit by the drought in North Cotabato as requested by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The fund will enable the city to procure and give 15,000 sacks of rice to the farmers of North Cotabato.
This approval came in when Duterte vowed on Friday that he will give food assistance to the victims of drought after the bloody dispersal of protesting farmers in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato last week.
The dispersal resulted to two deaths from the group of the protesters and dozens were wounded from the police and farmers.
The ordinance states the Office of the City Mayor has issued a certificate of urgency on April 4, requesting for the approval to support then farmers of North Cotabato.
It said the North Cotabato has been experiencing drought and rat infestation as the result of dry spell which affected 31,663.70 hectares of agricultural lands in the province.
There are 13,286 farmers who are suffering from the P1.47 billion damage based from Damage and Assessment Needs Analysis report of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 12.
The assistance will be drawn from the P309 million quick response fund (QRF) which was recommended by Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).
During the discussion, City Budget Office head Erlinda Furog assured the city council the city government still has enough money to respond to the needs of the Dabawneyos once a calamity or disaster will heat the city.