Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo Romualdez slammed President Aquino and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas citing the partisan politics behind the issue.

In his statement during the interview in ANC News, Romualdez cited the problem that the national government ignored his request to reinforce the police force in spite of the fact that Romualdez has made confirmation that Philippine National Police was actively responded through the effort of the Special Action Force.

In result, Mayor Romualdez said, because of communication difficulties they could not able to give the exact answer to the concern people asking them.

Romualdez noted the government wanted to impose ordinance for a curfew. But he said that is difficult to impose the curfew ordinance for the reason of no fiscal office and there was no court to settle if in case people will violate and get arrested, how can they post bail? Romualdez said.

“Why don’t we just have checkpoints? And this went on and on, and yet every day. We were meeting every day, every morning. I could not understand why we could not get that support,” Romualdez explained.

There was a time during the meeting with Sec. Mar Roxas, Romualdez noted that Roxas asked him to legalize everything by passing an ordinance to allow the national government conduct relief and rescue efforts in the city.

Romualdez replied, “Why is it illegal?”

Romuladez explained that as far as he knows, the President of the country has all the power to execute orders and command as long as it for the good to the people especially in Tacloban City,” he said.

He could not see anywhere in the law, that there must be a letter or ordinance first in order for the national government help the problem, added Mayor Romualdez.

Then Roxas noted that they have to be very careful because he is a Romualdez and the president is an Aquino.

However, in the recent report, Romuladez denied that he was being asked by Roxas to resign his post as mayor of Tacloban City.

Romuladez clarified that Roxas request him to write a letter that he could no longer do some of the functions as mayor of Tacloban which would allow the national government to enter his jurisdiction and help the city.

In that case, the lawyer of Romualdez advised him not to write the letter since it could be deemed as a resignation letter.