As the death toll from monster typhoon “Yolanda” continues to climb, Filipinos rush to the defense of a police official who was sacked after estimating 10,000 casualties. An online petition posted Saturday urged President Benigno Aquino III to reinstate Gen. Elmer Soria as chief regional director of Eastern Visayas Police. Current toll is reportedly at almost 4,000 dead while Aquino earlier claimed of only about 2,500 deaths. “Gen. Soria’s dismissal from his post as regional director of the Eastern Visayas Police Department is a wrongful termination,” the Change.org petition said. A police statement Friday confirmed that Soria has been relieved of his position days after he told media that Yolanda could have killed more than 10,000. The statement claimed the police official was replaced over “acute stress reaction,” which may require him to undergo stress debriefing. Soria was in Tacloban when Yolanda hit. While conceding that Soria “may have jumped the gun” by citing unconfirmed figures, the petition insisted that firing Soria was “heavy-handed and extreme” Addressing the President, the petition said, it seems Soria’s dismissal “stems from a personal vendetta against those whose views do not align with your own.” Days after Soria’s estimate made headlines, Aquino said the death toll should only be around 2,000 to 2,500. As of November 16, however, the death count reached 3,681. “Do we continue to bicker whether there are 2,000 or 10,000 dead? This quarrel over numbers is futile and counter-productive,” the petition said further. It even dubbed Soria “a hero,” not only for being among the first responders on the scene but also for highlighting the “extent of misery,” thereby prodding global action. “There is no denying that Gen. Elmer Soria was instrumental in galvanizing international support for the subsequent relief and rescue operation,” the petition said. It also urged Aquino not to put more lives in jeopardy and to fast-track relief and rehabilitation operations in affected areas instead of “squabbling over minor details.” by: Yahoonews
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 05:34:04 +0000
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