Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Councilors agree: NAPC should apologize By Grace L. Plata
SEVERAL Davao City councilors agree that National Anti-Poverty Commission Chief Domingo Panganiban should apologize to the City Government for issuing a statement blaming the city for Mariannet Amper's suicide.
Panganiban's statement said the lack of the city's cooperation and coordination with its barangays resulted in the extreme poverty which caused Mariannet to take her life.
"If you craft the resolution, I will willingly co-author it," said Councilor Bonifacio Militar to Councilor Diosdado Mahipus after the latter ranted in a privilege speech about the negative image that was painted of Davao due to the NAPC statement on Mariannet's death.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, on the other hand, wanted an investigation on the moves of Barangay Ma-a regarding the Amper case.
"It is because I have not heard nor read in the news what the barangay has done to help the family or to resolve the matter. They are silent," Dayanghirang said.
Militar, however, reacted, saying Barangay Ma-a chief Jun Laud has been doing his job.
"He is one of the most responsible barangay leaders in the first district. I, for one, know that he has been helping the family," Militar said.
He also reminded Dayanghirang not to make such statements unless he is sure that Ma-a officials have indeed not acted since the news of Mariannet's death broke out.
Dayanghirang, however, said he merely wants to make sure that the barangay in Ma-a is indeed doing its part after he was told that city-paid and barangay-paid nutrition personnel in Ma-a are not meeting eye-to-eye, resulting in poor performance in nutrition and poverty monitoring in the barangay level.
