Tacloban told to maintain ‘Yolanda buses’

TACLOBAN CITY - A Malacañang official has urged the city government to properly maintain the six buses donated by President Duterte for the use of Yolanda victims. Secretary Michael Diño, presidential assistant for the Visayas, said the President donated the six buses to the city government last year to give free rides to Yolanda victims to resettlement sites. Diño said it is the responsibility of the city government to keep the buses in running condition. One of the donated buses figured in an accident in Catbalogan City on February 2, where three pedestrians were killed and nine others were injured. The bus has since been impounded near the Catbalogan Police Station. Another bus has been abandoned by the national highway at Barangay Tigbao, Tacloban, for the past several months. Only four buses are left to shuttle typhoon victims between the resettlement sites and downtown Tacloban. Department of Education (DepEd) Tacloban City Schools Division Supt. Thelma Quitaleg has refused to accept responsibility for the accident involving the bus. Quitaleg said the city government allocated R350,000 to ferry to Calbayog City the Tacloban City delegation to the regional athletic meet in Calbayog. Quitaleg said she did not know who authorized the Yolanda shuttle bus to be used by the athletes when there was a transportation budget for the city’s delegation. (Nestor L. Abrematea)