Sen. Marcos Not Buying Government's Claim of 51 Percent Accomplishment For Yolanda Rehab

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today expressed doubts about the government's claim that it has accomplished 51 percent of its target for the rehabilitation of areas devastated by super-typhoon Yolanda two years ago.

Marcos said the claim of a 51 percent accomplishment is "a very optimistic estimate" because the government has barely implemented the masterplan for Yolanda rehabilitation crafted by former Sec. Panfilo Lacson.

"I don't know how they arrived at 51 percent because by the government's own admission, if you look at the (permanent) housing figures, it is less than 10 percent---17,000 out of 250,000 is about 6 percent," Marcos said in an ambush interview at the Tacloban Astrodome.

The senator joined the morning commemorative walk that converged at the Astrodome where a mass was held as well as the unveiling of the memorial for victims of typhoon Yolanda that struck on November 8, 2013.

What is more frustrating, according to the senator, is that the government refuses to make a full disclosure of what it has done to help victims of typhoon Yolanda.

"They do not explain what they are doing, they do not explain how much has been done, how much has been spent, how much is still available. They feel no need to give us any facts and figures," the senator said.

Marcos said he will take the opportunity while he is in Tacloban to inspect and see for himself the progress of the government's rehabilitation efforts.

Earlier, the senator demanded a full accounting and disclosure of the funds allocated for Yolanda victims, the donations received, as well as the status of the rehabilitation and recovery programs for areas devastated by the typhoon.