Thursday, July 03, 2008 Wife refuses expression of sympathy; President hands out P10T as financial aid
IKAW kuno mamatyan ug bana? (How would you feel if you lost your husband?)”
These were the words Daisy Jane Oleo, 21, told President Arroyo yesterday. The President replied, “I know, I know.”
When President Arroyo offered her condolences to Oleo, whose husband Angelo was on the mv Princess of the Stars, the woman vehemently shook her head and refused the expression of sympathy.
President Arroyo visited the action center at the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC) to check on relief operations and to condole with the victims’ families. She also distributed to 30 families envelopes containing P10,000 each as financial aid.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who also visited, asked relatives of passengers residing in the province to go back to their homes, after a nine-day wait at the CCSC.
This came with the assurance that the mayors of the different towns will take care of all their necessary papers.
Amid the search and the provision of support for victims’ families, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal urged the government to review maritime laws.
“We strongly exhort the government and its respective agencies to undertake immediate review, update and stricter implementation of maritime laws and practices, weather forecasting, disaster prevention and rescue retrieval operation,” said Cardinal Vidal in a press statement.
But while the aid and expressions of sympathy help, what distraught families yearn for the most is certainty.
Grief
Oleo told reporters she refused to believe her husband is dead and added that he had promised to return home for her.
“Mo-uli gyud siya sa amo (He will come home),” she added.
They got married on Oct. 28, 2006. Since her husband was a seaman, they had only spent four and a half months together in their nearly two years of marriage.
Bienvenido Ouano, 61, said the aid might help his family in supporting their continued search for his daughter Annaliza, it will not take away the pain of losing her.
His voice shaking as he stared at his daughter’s picture, Bienvenido said that instead of money, he would much rather hear from his daughter, or at least receive word about her condition.
“Kung patay man or buhi, kana na lang (Just let us know if she’s dead or alive),” said Bienvenido.
Felicia, Annaliza’s mother, said they are reminded of their loss every time she and her husband go back to the home that Annaliza had built for them.
“Wherever we look, we think of her. She built our house, bought us a vehicle and put up a store for us. It pains us to see these reminders of her,” said Felicia in Bisaya.
Felicia and Bienvenido said they will not rest until they bring their daughter home.
Waiting
Relatives initially opposed the announcement that urged provincial residents to go home, but acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama welcomed the news. He stressed, however, that those from the province who want to stay at CCSC can still do so.
When Provincial Social Welfare Office (PSWO) social worker Marivic Garces announced Garcia’s request in the afternoon, anger and arguments burst among the crowd.
Arthur Jabellana, who lost a brother in the ship, said a lot of relatives from the province have already spent a lot to come to the city, and they didn’t want to see their money and efforts go to waste.
Others lamented that going back home might extend their wait for two to three more tedious months.
Garces, however, assured the crowd that Garcia has ordered the mayors of the different cities and municipalities outside Cebu City to take care of the relatives of the victims.
A total of 353 passengers came from Cebu Province.
Governor Garcia added that she has tasked social workers and the Department of Social Welfare and Services in every municipality to attend to the processing of their documents for claiming bodies and insurance.
Promises
At CCSC, Garces asked the people at CCSC not to “associate the proposal with politics.”
“Nangayo mi sa inyung pasensya, pagsalig ug pangadyi (We ask for your patience, trust and prayers),” Garces said.
The crowd finally conceded to the proposal. Buses will bring them back home for free tomorrow.
According to Jabellana, they will accept the proposal and hope that the government will deliver on its promise.
Garcia told reporters that the Province will come up with “a faster, more efficient and less tedious” process for claims.
For DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing, however, the victims’ next of kin may have to wait for at least a week.
Three thousand DNA testing kits are set to arrive from Europe next week, according to Dr. Rene Cam, medico-legal officer of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7.
Ten sample kits were supposed to arrive today for the International Police (Interpol) to demonstrate the process of DNA testing to the crowd.
Tests
Garces assured the provincial residents that free transportation to DNA testing stations would be provided for them when the time comes.
Cam said that only two members of a victim’s immediate family will be tested for DNA. But relatives must present complete documents for identification and DNA-matching purposes.
These are also required for the relatives to claim financial assistance from the Cebu City and Cebu Provincial governments.
Each will give P10,000 for the families of those declared dead, while P5,000 will be given for the survivors.
Cebu City Councilor Gerry Carillo said the City’s financial aid might be ready by next week.
Rama said that Arroyo commended the Cebu City government for its unity in “the way we handle the tragedy.” (EPB/KAB)
