DAVAO CITY Kabataan Partylist said the Department of Tourism, the
Mt. Apo Range Natural Park, and Protected Area Management Board’s
(PAMB) are just washing their hands over the drowning of a mountaineer
in Lake Venado in Mt. Apo, April 5, Maundy Thursday.
The youth partylist said the state should be the first and foremost
guardian of the security of its citizens, be it the victim’s fault or
a natural disaster.
“Given that they are the ones who permit climbers on entering Mt. Apo,
they should have ensured the safety of the mountaineers,” ” said Karla
Hyasmind Apat, Vice-President for Mindanao of Kabataan Partylist.
Apat said accidents in highly visited areas such as Mt. Apo are
supposed presumed by concerned agencies. Should accidents happen, Apat
said, it would be attended immediately if these authorized and
concerned agencies or institutions had set up stand-by
emergency-response teams in place.
“A disaster coordinating team, first aid team or any similar group is
not there when the accident happened to the mountaineer,” Apat said.
This, she said, is a must. Authorities that allow mountain climbers,
tourists or visitors to enter Mt. Apo or any other destinations
specially that vacation season is now here should have and should
ensure their safety.
“They should realize and admit that they hold responsibility over the
drowning of a mountaineer in Lake Venado,” Apat said while criticizing
the lack of capacity of the state to attend to accidents and
disasters.
Kabataan Partylist reiterated that risks and accidents are
everywhere. However, the group said, the accident that befell a
mountaineer in Mt. Apo could have been acted upon immediately had
there been a stand-by team to attend to emergency situations.
“Aren’t tourist destinations supposed to have stand-by emergency
teams?” Apat asked.#
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