|
ANTICIPATING the problems spawned by the latest calamity
affecting a large part of the country after tropical
storm Frank’s weekend assault, President Arroyo has
asked Congress to file a bill making rice hoarding and
profiteering in times of disasters “economic sabotage,”
and another that would impose a price cap on rice in
areas under a state of calamity.
Mrs.
Arroyo, who was addressing the Filipino community in
Fresno, California, made the appeal in a video
conference with the National Disaster Coordinating
Council (NDCC). She issued other directives related to
the destruction unleashed by Typhoon Frank in at least
32 provinces—sinking a passenger ferry with more than
800 people, destroying farmlands and crops estimated at
more than half a billion pesos and causing widespread
power disruptions as it damaged facilities and strewed
debris in sites of the National Power Corp., National
Transmission Corp. and largest electricity distributor
Manila Electric Co.
“One, I
would like to ask the congressmen here with us if they
could file a bill to make rice hoarding and profiteering
economic sabotage, with disaster as the aggravating
circumstance; two, a bill that says that a state of
calamity should include imposing a maximum price of
rice, giving decent return for farmers or traders but no
more, plus forced sale of hoarded rice,” she said.
A total
of 98 people were confirmed dead on Monday in the
aftermath of Typhoon Frank. NDCC spokesman Anthony Golez
said the typhoon, which is expected to leave the country
Tuesday, also injured 66 people and displaced a total of
101, 590 families. A total of 115 people are also
missing.
At a
press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Energy Secretary
Angelo Reyes said they have already restored power in
Metro Manila as of Sunday night. Reyes said in the whole
of Luzon, it is only the province of Quezon that needs
to have its power restored.
In the
Visayas, the energy chief said they have already
re-energized about 85 percent of Leyte, 32 percent of
Samar and 15 percent of the whole Panay Island, which
bore the brunt of the typhoon.
Reyes
said they have difficulty in restoring power in Iloilo
because the province is still under water.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works said it has
already repaired six of the nine major road sections in
five typhoon-stricken regions.
Undersecretary Nelson Yabut said an initial P710 million
worth of public projects was destroyed.
Following up on her Sunday videoconference with the
Coast Guard, Mrs. Arroyo added that, “pending review of
Coast Guard protocols, no vessels sail if it would pass
a possible typhoon path.”
The
Chief Executive will also assign an NDCC official at
Sulpicio Lines, the vessel owner, for the public release
of information on the victims, and expressed hope that
congressmen whose constituents were on the vessel would
also extend financial aid to them.
She
instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs to open
disaster relief donation accounts and NDCC donation
accounts in Philippine embassies in Europe, the Middle
East and Asia to help typhoon victims, and the Bureau of
Fire Protection to deliver potable water in typhoon-hit
areas. (M. Gonzalez, R. Acosta, R. Lazaro, B. Garcia
Jr.) |
