City Hall official 'bullies' driver 
of Ynion tanker giving free water

A crisis situation calls for unity, not harassing others in order to get ahead.

Yesterday, a City Hall employee allegedly threatened the driver of a truck commissioned by businessman and philanthropist Rommel Ynion to deliver free water to the residents of Brgy. Tanza Bonifacio.

Manuel Mejorada, The News Today executive editor, in his Facebook post, said, “Two water tankers -- one deployed by Rommel Ynion and the other deployed by (Mayor Jed Patrick) Mabilog using the 5% calamity funds --- found themselves parked within 50 meters of each other to deliver water to the residents.”

He added, “It didn't take long before the people fetching water from the Mabilog/calamity funded trucks transferred to the Ynion truck. They found the water from the calamity funds to be murky while Ynion's water was sparkling clean.”

It was at this point that Winston Porras allegedly threatened the Ynion truck driver of being apprehended for supposed violation of the truck ban. He wanted the Ynion truck to leave.

But Mejorada said the people themselves protested, leading to an argument. It was stopped only when the media arrived.

STATE OF CALAMITY

Last Wednesday, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, through the request of Mabilog, resolved that Iloilo City is under a state of calamity due to water shortage being experienced by 56 out of 108 villages. 

Memorandum Order No. 4-1998 of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (now National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), states that local government units may declare a state of calamity “when two or more barangays are affected by a disaster through the Sangguniang Panlungsod, upon the recommendation of the municipal/city mayor.”

Even before the resolution was made, Ynion has already distributed free water supply to the affected villages.*