Santo Domingo.- Civil Defense volunteers denounced Monday that while their director complains of lack of funds to not pay per diem for their work, five of his children get paid significant wages in that agency, violating Law 41-08.

Speaking in the Nuria Piera TV program on the Civil Defense’s situation, they said it has a monthly budget of around RD$7 million, but its volunteers can’t even pay their phone, light and other bills.

The first responders affirm that they’ve yet to be paid the per diem for their work after Haiti’s earthquake, as well as for the Christmas and New Year operations.

Piera reports that Civil Defense pays several children of retired general Luis Luna Paulino, including Luis Jose Luna Yorro, who’s head of informatics since September 2004, and is also on the Dominican Air Force payroll.

She reports that Luis Antonio Luna, head of the Volunteers section also gets a monthly check even when he’s also on the payroll of the Army; Joel Luna, on the Civil Defense payroll as his father’s assistant, also gets a check from the Air Force, whereas Carmen Sodeyca Luna also gets paid from the informatics section, but in fact sells technological equipment.

Piera also revealed that another son, Lois Jafet, has “ubiquitous” powers by working in the Civil Defense Technology Department, paid 35,000 pesos monthly: in the Reservas Bank  Security  Department , with a 37,000 peso monthly check, and in the Air Force for 10,000 pesos, all in violation of the Public Function Law 41-08.

 “Bare hands”

Elvis Domínguez, head of stations in Herrera and San Cristóbal, said despite their many shortcomings they’ve been able to operate, but practically with their “bare hands.” “We don’t have vehicles or anything from Civil Defense, any emergency or an ambulance we have to go look for it, because if we call they always make it difficult, they never have one.”