DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY
By Marple Dame
During the onslaught of Typhoon Tino, we opened our gates to our neighbors who could do nothing but watch as their homes were swept away before their eyes.
Our house sustained minimal damage. Our family and furbabies were safe. None of my relatives or friends suffered serious harm. And yet, when the storm finally passed, my mother and I found ourselves in tears.
We cried not for our own safety, but for our neighbors who lost everything.
Ate Arlyn, whose bike she bought with borrowed money and still unpaid;
Kuya Tata, who just finished renovating a small part of his home using his hard-earned saving;
Jackie and Rap-Rap, who had just bought things for their unborn baby;
Their homes, their memories, their years of hard work are all gone in a single day.
Even my father, who rarely shows emotion, fought back tears as he looked around at the devastation.
To the corrupt officials and those who failed to act (Yes. You, too, Slater Young and your Monterrazas), you stay dry there up your mansions while floods keep coming back to break our spirit. The blood of the 110+ lives lost is on your hands. May you never sleep soundly at night.
Remember that.
We cry not only in sadness, but in anger. For every preventable death, every peso stolen that could have saved lives. No amount of preparation could survive this storm, not when corruption stands in the way of true readiness.
Cebuanos will never forget your names.
Cebu, be angry. Be relentless. Demand accountability.
