MANILA - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said he believes both Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas were traumatized after surviving super typhoon "Yolanda" right in the heart of Tacloban. Speaking to ANC's Headstart, Cayetano asked the public for understanding for the two men after the two officials accused each other of politicizing relief and rehabilitation efforts after the typhoon. "Let me start by saying and asking for understanding for the two gentlemen. Kasi pareho silang emotional, pareho silang nandun nung nangyari, pareho sila kahit saan tumingin death and destruction and both of them just really wanted to help people there. But I guess traumatized din yung dalawa," he said. Romualdez earlier accused the national government of politicizing the rehabilitation effort, saying that Roxas even asked him for a letter asking for help from the national government. The mayor said he refused to submit the letter since it could be misconstrued as having resigned his post. For his part, Roxas said he asked for the letter since he did not want the President to be seen as muscling on the territory of a known political enemy. He also pointed out that the national government still took over the relief and rehabilitation effort even without Romualdez's letter. Cayetano urged newly-installed rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson to sit down with the two officials and have a working protocol on the rehabilitation effort. He also said that both the national government and local government can work together during a crisis without the need for a formal letter of help from the LGU. "Tama rin naman si Secretary Mar, that there are some peculiarities in the law although the Constitution is very clear that the President can call out the military, the President can do this and do that and everything without the paper..." he said. He added: "Does it rally matter when people are dying at nagkakagulo? It only matters afterwards when nasa korte na pero wala namang magdadala sa iyo sa korte when you are saving lives. This is really part of the emotions and frustrations na maraming namatay." "I hope na ma-clear up ito. The moving forward is more important. Hindi mo maaalis na si Alfred ang mayor and you have to deal with that. So hindi mo rin maaalis na may feelings ang Palasyo, ilang secretaries, etc..." ANC HEADSTART, December 11, 2013