Mayor labels weekend crowd as ‘sabotage’

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia dismissed as “organized hakot” the mammoth crowd that gathered at the Bacolod Government Center (BGC), Saturday supposedly to avail of cash assistance distributed by the city Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).

The DSSD aid was meant for sectors affected by the imposition of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on this city to arrest the spike in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

In an interview with GMA TV, Monday afternoon, the mayor said they are investigating who are behind the alleged “organized hakot” crowd that went viral on social media due to lack of physical distancing.

Leonardia said the report reaching him is that it was a case of “organized hakot because by common sense matingala ka gid kadamo-damo sang tawo nga wala gani public transport.”

“There was some kind of a concerted effort nga himoon ato, because that put us in a very embarrassing situation kag wala to sila ginpatawag,” he added.

The mayor further said that DSSD has pre-identified the beneficiaries who were supposed to receive the assistance. The department planned to distribute the assistance to at least 100 recipients a day.

Leonardia said he was puzzled as to who may have fooled the people to flock to the BCG.

“It was very suspicious because it was very unusual.”

He appealed to the people that even at this time of pandemic, fake news is spreading, and they should not quickly believe.

Validate the authenticity of the information first, the mayor said.

Leonardia also hinted it could be a sabotage by his political enemies whom he asked to set aside politics because of the pandemic.

“Taposon ta ni anay ang pandemic kay atubangon ta gid na ang politika, makadto gid ta da,” he said.

Due to the incident, DSSD head Pacita Tero said they have decided to suspend indefinitely the distribution of cash assistance.