Various militant groups called on the resignation of Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) amid the non-delivery of promised relief goods to starving victims of typhoon Pablo in Southern Mindanao.

Leaders of Gabriela, Anakbayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Koalisyon ng Progresibong Manggagawa at Mamamayan, Balsa Mindanao and Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, among others, called Soliman and the Aquino administration “stone-hearted” for hoarding relief goods from the victims.

This led to the victims barricading the DSWD office in Davao City and for barging in on its warehouse in “confiscate” the relief goods.

The DSWD has since claimed it has “settled” the dispute with the Pablo survivors, after promising, again, to provide for relief goods for six months and not filing cases against the survivors.

Joms Salvador, Gabriela secretary general, blamed DSWD for the commotion and condemned Soliman for resorting to violence to disperse the barricading survivors and even threatening to file a case against the protesters.

“Soliman has no place in public service especially in an agency established to provide help to the marginalized people. She should be removed from her position because of her incompetence and questionable conducts in the calamity caused by typhoon Pablo,” Salvador said.

Anakbayan Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said that Soliman has “lost all credibility” in implementing relief operations. He also said the administration should conduct an investigation into reports of corruption in DSWD.

Salvador demanded that the DSWD to make an inventory of every relief goods and donations and investigate whether or not all of the said materials are all accounted for and given to typhoon victims.

Barug Katawhan, the movement created by Typhoon Pablo survivors, said it held two formal dialogues with the DSWD to release 10,000 sacks of rice promised by Soliman, after having barricaded the Montevista Highway last January 15.

The agency, however, set nine pre-conditions for the survivors, including asking Barug Katawhan to produce a list of all beneficiaries.

Francis Morales, Balsa Mindanao executive director, said it is the government’s responsibility to account for the survivors.

“The universal code of ethics in developmental work that the DSWD has clearly forgotten is that humanitarian aid must be given based on need alone and that politics, religion or gender shall not be used to discriminate against victims of man-made or natural calamities,” Morales said.

According to Mayang Taldo, president of Gabriela in Brgy, Bagong Silangan in Quezon City, their members and community members stand in solidarity with the Pablo survivors.

Taldo said that residents of Bgy. Bagong Silangan were survivors, too, of typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and during the monsoon floods last year. Like the Pablo survivors, they also experienced being were fed with rotten rice from the DSWD warehouse.

Crisostomo called on the attention of the international community to continue donation relief goods to the victims via non-government bodies like Balsa Mindanao rather than forward it to DSWD.

“We will also conduct our own relief operations in our school to help our fellow countrymen because it is evident that the government does not perform their obligations to its people properly,” he added.

Meanwhile, KMU called Soliman’s statement in a Malacañang briefing that the protestors were “merely duped” into joining the protest and that her office will sue the protest leaders, as an act of desperation aimed at hiding the truth about the government’s relief drive.

“The protest is over but Dinky remains in a state of denial about the government’s insufficient relief drive. The number of the protestors and the militance of their actions which forced the DSWD to condede to their demands – all these show that they are really hungry and angry,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary general.

“Leaders are instrumental to protests, but they are not the decisive factor. Many people joined the Davao food protest because they know in their guts that the government is denying them relief goods,” he added.