By Robina Asido

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to take over the distribution of cash assistance in a Metro Manila city as its local government failed manage the distribution.

"I have one city here. I ordered your department and the DSWD to handle the distribution of the assistance from the national government to the local government units who do not have knowledge in an organized distribution and it only result in disorder," Duterte told Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano in Monday night's Talk to the People.

"The LGU without planning and preparation to prevent overcrowding and disorder during the distribution I did not give them (the distribution of cash assistance). There is only one in Metro Manila, I saw in TV the disorder and chaos prevailing whenever there are events so it will be the task of the DILG and DSWD," he added.

Duterte did not name the city. He also criticized the leader of the city for blaming other people for his failure to handle distributions

"(MMDA) Chairman (Benjur) Abalos I will not give one City there the power to distribute the cash assistance simply because in so many instances they cannot organize, everytime.... it has happened several times and several times he blame other people other than himself. I just cannot name a politician here," he said.

During the cabinet meeting, Roque reiterated that a mayor blamed Duterte in the incident that happened last Thursday where thousands flocked to vaccination sites.

Roque said the mayor did not directly name the president but he played Duterte's previous statement where he announced that unvaccinated individuals will not be allowed to go out of their houses. DMS