Philippines: Party-list blasts Aquino for vetoing disaster preparedness fund

According to the Journal Online, Athena Gardon, deputy secretary general of Kabataan Party-list, said President Aquino's decision to veto disaster preparation in the P5-billion calamity fund weakened the government capacity to prevent natural disasters from causing enormous devastation.

"It was irresponsbile for President Aquino to veto disaster preparation in the calamity," he said. Gardon invoked Section 22 of Republic Act No. 10121, approved in 2009, which maintains that disaster risk reduction, prevention and preparedness should be the primary mandate of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).