President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was displeased that some local officials traveled abroad while their provinces were reeling from the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Uwan” and Typhoon “Tino,” noting that governance must not be “chill” in times of a crisis, Malacañang on Tuesday said.
“The President does not want officials who are merely on vacation. He doesn’t want leadership to be all chill, chill,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing.
A private lawyer, meanwhile, filed administrative and criminal raps before the Visayas Ombudsman against Cebu Rep. Duke Frasco and seven mayors who travelled to London amid the arrival of Tino.
Lawyer Julito Añora Jr. lodged complaints against Frasco, who was with his wife, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco for the World Travel Market (WTM).
Other respondents were Cebu province mayors who joined the delegation for the WTM: Liloan Mayor Aljew Fernando Frasco; Catmon Mayor Avis Ginoo-Monleon; San Francisco Mayor Alfredo Arquillano Jr.; Tudela Mayor Greman Solante; Poro Mayor Edgar Rama; Pilar Mayor Manuel Santiago; and Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño.
Añora said the officials violated the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, the Local Government Code, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards, and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, among others.
“The casualties speak for itself… These numbers speak about the inefficiency of our local chief executives,” said Añora.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government is conducting an investigation into reports that several local executives left the country despite a standing travel suspension during calamities.
Among those under scrutiny is Isabela Governor Rodolfo Albano III, who confirmed in an interview that he was in Germany during the onslaught of “Uwan.”
Albano defended his trip, saying it was pre-scheduled, and that his vice governor and local disaster officials remained in charge while he was abroad.
Before his trip to Germany, Albano was asked in a radio interview as to the measures the province will undertake in view of “Uwan” that the state weather bureau warned would become a super typhoon.
“PAGASA is always like that. Sometimes it causes anxiety to build up. It can cause people to get nervous. For me, just chill. There is nothing we can do about it,” the governor said.
Castro said the Palace is leaving the investigation entirely in the hands of the DILG chief.
“This is led by Secretary Jonvic Remulla. Let him proceed with his investigation first,” she said.
The DILG earlier ordered the concerned officials to submit written explanations within five days of receiving the notice.
Castro said they will be given a chance to justify their actions, but accountability would follow if their reasons were found to be unjustified.
She said the President expects all public servants to remain on the ground and lead response efforts when their constituents are in a crisis.
As this developed, Castro said the President commended government agencies and first responders for their preemptive actions ahead of the super typhoon, saying early evacuations and coordinated efforts helped save lives and minimize casualties.
“Disasters and calamities happen sometimes that we cannot really avoid, and they occur even when we do not want them,” Castro said, adding that while some casualties were still recorded, the proactive measures ordered by Mr. Marcos significantly reduced the storm’s impact.
Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said some 1.7 million individuals (499,000 families) were preemptively evacuated ahead of “Uwan,” — nearly double the 898,000 individuals (290,000 families) pre-evacuated during “Tino.”
Uwan recorded 18 deaths, 28 injured, and two missing so far, while Tino caused 232 deaths and 112 missing persons.
“What we want is zero casualties. But of course, we can’t avoid accidents. But I think the data and the information will show that it really helps if we do pre-emptive activities to include pre-emptive evacuation,” Alejandro said.
