Reports of Profiteering and Looting

Summarized from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The lack of coordination and leadership by government has thrown the relief efforts to shambles.

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Until now, the government has not clarified whether it will dispense with the red tape that normally accompanies donations in kind: the last thing the country needs is a scandal associated with donated relief goods being impounded by the Bureau of Customs or taxed upon arrival.

The Department of Foreign Affairs also needs to facilitate documentation requirements as there are many Filipinos overseas who can help by means of collecting goods rather than giving cash. There have been too many reports of our embassies and consulates telling concerned individuals just to give cash because they don’t want to deal with relief goods. We believe our foreign posts are as concerned as ordinary citizens, but are hampered by lack of guidance from their bosses.

The Department of Trade and Industry has established a hotline (751-3330) to report profiteering. Government in emergencies such as this can and has imposed price controls on basic goods. The price of medicine, too, needs to be monitored, with Doxyxyxline, recommended for one-time prophylaxis for exposure to floodwater, going from P2 to as high as P60, according to some reports. The Department of Health has to step in. In any case, citizens reporting profiteering need to save receipts as evidence to help the authorities prosecute offenders.

Miriam Quiambao on Tuesday reported that officials in Marikina City weren’t distributing relief goods because they were waiting for media coverage to show the officials in action. There was even a report that the Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Pasig City was repacking already packed relief bags, reducing their contents. This is another kind of profiteering.
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What's wrong with these people!? It's more important for them to be shown providing relief than actually helping people?