President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday assured families affected by Typhoon “Ulysses” that the government would provide relief, rescue and assistance, and that no one would be left behind.
Duterte said he personally wanted to leave Malacañan Palace to see firsthand the extent of damage of the typhoon but his security prevented him from doing so.
“My problem is, I was barred by those guarding me, the PSG, doctors, I can’t get out,” he said in Filipino.
He said he wanted to be of help and share the grief with the people but he had no choice but to comply with the rules.
“It’s not that I am at a distance from you… I want to go there, to swim with you, the problem is I’m being stopped,” he added.
Duterte said local and national government agencies have been mobilized to respond to the situation as heavy rains and strong winds brought by the typhoon triggered massive floods.
“As President, I guarantee you that your government will do its best to provide assistance in the form of shelters, relief goods, financial aid and post disaster counseling. Rest assured the government will not leave anybody behind. We will get through this crisis, I assure you,” he said.
Duterte also rejected criticism that the government has been sleeping on the job, saying local governments and the national government have been addressing the dangers brought about by the typhoon since they received an advisory.
“There are people saying we’re not doing anything, we’re just sleeping. We haven’t slept yet,” he said in Filipino.
He said he had to temporarily leave the ongoing video conference of the 37th ASEAN Summit to monitor the situation.
In the afternoon, Duterte conducted an aerial inspection of areas devastated by Typhoon Ulysses.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Philippine National Police already deployed 3,261 Search and Rescue personnel in anticipation of Typhoon Ulysses.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, he said, were deployed in various areas such as in Cavite, Manila, Marikina, Montalban and Rodriguez in Rizal to aid local government units in their respective rescue and relief operations.
Roque said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office, filed offices and the National Resource Operations Center have more than P800 million worth of stockpiles and standby funds.
He noted that standby funds of more than P226 million are available with more than P184 million for Quick Response Fund.
“There are stockpiles composed of more than 282,000 Family Food Packs (FFPs) amounting to more than P130 million, other food items amounting to more than P177 million and non-food items amounting to more than P271 million,” he said.