The Mayor of the City of Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez claimed that DILG Secretary Mar Roxas asked him to write a letter to President Benigno Aquino III according to a news report posted by Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday, November 18, 2013.
Mar Roxas (Photo: Manila Standard)
Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas wrote that, “Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II has asked Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez to write a letter to President Aquino to inform him that he can no longer function as a mayor and he is surrendering authority to the DILG chief.
According to PDI reporter the statement was made by Romualdez’ lawyer Alex Avisado, counsel for Romualdez. The reporter also added that Roxas even wanted the Tacloban City Council to p(–foul word(s) removed–) a resolution stating that the mayor can no longer function and surrendering authority to Roxas.
The controversial post of Inquirer got the ire of netizens who expressed their sentiments through various social media sites. The information posted by Inquirer.net caught the attention of the DILG secretary who denied the allegation written against him.
Secretary Roxas reminds Mayor Romualdez that starting on Day 1, the mayor was the one that made the call, “We want the national government to take over, please declare martial law,” because the mayor was powerless before the breakdown of peace and order in the city.
Tacloban City, the Capital of the Province of Leyte is the the worst-affected area by super typhoon Yolanda. The city is under the administration of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, a member of the clan of the former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.
The problems in Tacloban is a man’s job. What is Roxas doing there?