The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vows to investigate and look into the allegations that the relief goods intended for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda are being sold in stores in Manila and other places as well as those who make sale online.
The selling of relief goods in Metro Manila was first published by British newspaper Daily Mail that quoted a source who said that emergency supplies given by the United Kingdom have already turned up in several mom-and-pop stores.
Other allegations from netizens statted that some of the imported relief goods are being swapped with local brands hidden inside cadaver bags. According to DSWD officer-in-charge for Eastern Visayas Nestor Ramos, “The reality on the ground is there are NGOs (non-government organizations) directly distributing relief goods to LGUs (local government units)… (In) every municipality, we have already deployed (teams) to (–foul word(s) removed–)s whether commodities are being received by our people in the villages,” he said in an ABS-CBN Interview.
DSWD’s Nestor Ramos added further that the donations from international organizations were just put in an inventory by box but they were not opening the box. The DSWD immediately dispatch them to the different municipalities. They have a list of distribution plan as to who will be given priority, DSWD do not repack relief goods in their offices, Ramos state.
The DSWD is also mulling to extend the distribution of relief goods until next year, the announcement is contrary to the previous reports that the distribution of relief goods to affected areas will be up to December 30, 2013 only.
Mr. Ramos was quoted as saying “(As) per (–foul word(s) removed–)sment of our department, the relief distributions will be up to December 30, but we will do another (–foul word(s) removed–)sment of whether we would continue our relief distribution after December. But definitely, for the vulnerable (sectors), it will continue,” Ramos said.