Karidat to forward victims’ request to AGO

Karidat director Angie Guerrero said the request for financial assistance by the Chalan Piao fire victims will be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office since it should be the victims’ companies that should provide these displaced workers new accommodations.

“We have to refer it to the AGO, because it’s the law,” she said. “The victims’ company or employers who provided them the barracks [that was burned] should provide [for] their [new] housing and accommodations.”

Guerrero made the statement after 21 persons displaced by the fire that gutted their barracks last week trooped to the Karidat office in Chalan Kanoa Tuesday morning to seek financial help.

Guerrero said the victims, who were mostly Chinese, were asking for money. Under Karidat regulations, fire victims could receive up to $200 in assistance.

She, however, was quick to point out that only victims with their own residence, and not those living in barracks, are entitled to such assistance.

“We said we don’t have the money…and they’re asking for $200 each,” she said. Guerrero said the monetary assistance really comes from the Chalan Kanoa diocese. Karidat only process the papers, which they submit to the diocese, she added.

Lauri B. Ogumoro, manager of Guma Esperansa, said she was there when the victims sought assistance from Karidat. She said Karidat tried to give them boxes of clothes but the victims rejected the assistance.

“We gave them clothes, boxes of clothing and they did not want it,” she explained, adding that the victims told her that what they wanted was the $200.

She said the victims did not show up at her office yesterday.

Guerrero also said some of the victims are still working at the Michigan Factory and Marianas Garment Manufacturing. Some of them also worked for the defunct Sako Corp. and Marianas Fashion.

As for shelter, Guerrero said that they only have one shelter and it is being used for their program involving battered women.

The fire victims had shown up at the Karidat office on Wednesday to seek financial help. They were allegedly told to pick up a police report on the fire incident so they could be assisted but when they returned in the afternoon with the police report, they still failed to obtain assistance.

Some of the fire victims had also claimed of being asked to leave an American Red Cross shelter but this was denied by executive director John Hirsh, who said the four who sought shelter with them voluntarily left.