Storm Haiyan (Yolanda) Update: Tacloban Looters Target Gas Stations; Does Senate Have Moral Suasion to Propose Penalty for Filchers?

After looting the Gaisano Mall in Tacloban City on Saturday at the height of super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) battering central Philippines, residents are now filching fuel from a gasoline station in the city, ABS-CBN reported.

The Video Shows Looters Targetting Gas Stations and siphoning off the fuel. While some local officials present tried to prevent the looter, the desperate residents didn't mind the request.

Like the looting of the Gaisano mall, again the question arises if such action is acceptable and forgivable during a crisis, particularly as some petrol station owners also jack up their pump prices to P100 per litre or almost double the regular cost.

Following the surge of looting incidents, the city was placed under a state of calamity and the local government placed a 10 pm to 6 am curfew to avoid more incidents of thefts at commercial and business establishments. The curfew prompted some residents to complain that it is a virtual martial law in the capital city of Leyte Province.

The looting has prompted two Filipino senators to propose to penalise residents caught looting.

"Stealing is still stealing under any circumstances. It is an individual decision of a person since not everyone engages in looting. Some just use the calamity as an excuse to steal," ABS-CBN quoted Senator Francis Escudero.

While there is a truth to his argument, people will surely question the moral authority of the Philippine Senate to call for penalty on petty looters (although some, admittedly, got big-ticket items such as appliances and electronic goods) when three of its members are suspected of looting public coffers by conniving with pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles who has allegedly pocketed P10 billion?

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Senator Frank Drilon joined Mr Escudero in the call, saying, "There is no justification for looting. We do recognize this happened because of the calamity but we have to put back law and order."

However, the mayor of Davao City has a different way of approaching law and order by ordering a relief team he sent to typhoon-ravaged areas to shoot looters on the feet or anyone who will stop the team. The group is made up of 20 doctors, 20 nurses and 40 rescue staff.