Emergency exempts PDRRMO from ban

SINCE a state of calamity is considered an emergency, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) may use its quick response fund despite an election ban on the release of public funds.

Acting Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Jerome Brillantes advised officials of the PDRRMO to submit a letter, along with a copy of its implementation plan, to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) central office for record purposes.

“What is prohibited is for infrastructure. Funds for commodities and services are not included in the ban because that hampers the delivery of basic services. But in case they are questioned, they should ask for an exemption from the Comelec central office indicating what the funds will be used for,” Brillantes said in an interview on Wednesday, March 27.

The Provincial Board last Monday, March 25, approved en masse a resolution declaring the province under a state of calamity.

Earlier, PDRRMO Chief Baltazar Tribunalo said they will ask the Comelec to exempt them from the ban so that they can use P25 million of their quick response fund to help those heavily affected by the mild El Niño.

A rapid assessment and survey conducted last March 18 revealed that 27 local government units in the province had suffered damage due to the dry spell.

Capitol’s technical working group will meet again on Thursday, March 28, to reassess which areas should be given priority and draft an implementation plan.

Brillantes, though, stressed that while a calamity is considered an emergency, politicians are not allowed to participate in the distribution of assistance to those affected by the dry spell.

Comelec Resolution 10511 provides that emergency work necessitated by the occurrence of a public calamity is exempted from the election ban, provided that such emergency work is limited to the restoration of the damaged facility. /