THE HOUSE committee on housing and urban development has concluded its investigation on the slow implementation of housing relocation and resettlement projects for victims of the 2013 super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) and will soon be forwarding its report to the Justice department. “It is so unfortunate that for close to four years after the devastation of Yolanda, we are still talking about the construction and completion of permanent shelter instead of support programs on how to help the victims move on with their lives,” said Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Alfredo B. Benitez, chair of the committee. Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente S.E. Veloso, for his part, said appropriate charges for those involved in the anomalous housing projects are estafa and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act. Mr. Veloso and his fellow panel members said they are determined to hold accountable every individual who may be involved in the anomalies in the housing project implementation. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben P. Evardone, who filed the resolution for the House probe, said the substandard construction of houses is considered part of the anomalies, and that contractors should also be made answerable to this. The National Housing Authority-Region 8, meanwhile, had reassured Yolanda survivors in Eastern Visayas of the completion of the housing projects, showing its latest report that only 28.6%, or 13,997 out of 205,128 houses, remains to be constructed. — The Freeman

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR