MORE than 100 members of the House of Representatives have joined a relief drive led by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III to assist families affected by the recent earthquake in Mindanao, with some lawmakers pledging their own personal resources to support recovery efforts.
House prosecutor and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno said the initiative was launched shortly after the powerful earthquake struck the region.
“Actually, nun pa lang nangyari ’yun, nagsama-sama na ’yung mga miyembro ng House. We have already begun donation and relief efforts,” Diokno said during a press conference on Thursday.
According to Diokno, more than 100 House members have already pledged support to the relief drive, while many lawmakers are separately extending assistance through their congressional districts and local government partners.
At the same time that House prosecutors were briefing the media in Manila, Dy was in General Santos City leading a congressional delegation on an ocular inspection of earthquake-hit areas in General Santos and Sarangani. The visit brought together local officials, regional agency heads, and lawmakers from the region to assess damage, coordinate assistance, and determine the funding requirements needed to support reconstruction and recovery efforts.
The lawmaker made the remarks in response to claims that preparations for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte have overshadowed efforts to assist earthquake victims.
He stressed that the House remains committed to both its constitutional duties and humanitarian responsibilities.
“Ang impeachment ay isang tungkulin namin sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon, pero ’yung tulungan natin ang mga nasalanta nitong lindol ay isang humanitarian duty at duty din namin ito bilang mamamayang Pilipino,” he said.
Diokno said lawmakers continue to provide assistance to affected communities even as the House prepares for the Senate impeachment trial.
“While we are in the middle of preparing for this constitutional trial, we are also not forgetting our duties to legislate and of course our duties to provide as much assistance and support as we can to those who were affected by the earthquake,” he said.
During the General Santos visit, Dy announced that the House would shoulder the medical expenses of individuals injured by the earthquake regardless of whether they are being treated in public or private hospitals. He also said lawmakers were conducting site inspections to determine the extent of damage to public infrastructure and facilities, with the goal of incorporating rehabilitation requirements into the proposed 2027 national budget.
The Speaker also met with local chief executives, regional directors of key government agencies, and members of the House from South Cotabato, General Santos City, and Sarangani to coordinate response and recovery efforts for affected communities.
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