MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:32 p.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte was not in the high-level briefing of government agencies on Super Typhoon Rolly because it was a Sunday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Roque led the briefing of Cabinet secretaries on Sunday morning at the office of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, after Rolly made its first landfall in Bato, Catanduanes at around 4:50 a.m. Duterte, who is in Davao, was not present and did not participate in the briefing, even through videoconferencing.
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Asked why the briefing was only conducted on Sunday or days after Rolly entered Philippine Area of Responsibility, Roque said Monday: “Well dahil inaasahan po nga natin yung landfall kahapon at saka sa totoo lang po araw ng Linggo naman po iyon.”
(Well, because we are expecting the landfall yesterday, and honestly, it was a Sunday.)
He said that even if it was a Sunday, Cabinet officials attended the briefing to give updates on government preparations for Rolly, the strongest typhoon in the world in 2020 that hit the country.
Then a severe tropical storm, Rolly entered the Philippine Area of Responsiblity on Thursday night. A day later, at Philippine time, the United States military weather bureau reported that Rolly will likely intensify into a super typhoon as it barrels towards landmass.
“So ang tanong bakit lang kahapon? Kasi kahapon lang pumasok yung bagyo no, at bago po 'yan patuloy naman po ang briefing na ginagawa ng NDRRMC,” Roque also said, adding that he has been monitoring these briefings.
(So the question, why only yesterday? Because the storm only entered yesterday, and before that, the NDRRMC has been conducting continued briefings.)
Duterte to fly back to Manila
In a separate update, Roque said Duterte will be flying to Manila from Davao on Monday. The president will meet with officials in the afternoon, the STAR also reported.
“En route to Manila, he will be conducting an aerial inspection in Bicolandia and Calabarzon,” Roque said, which are regions that will be flown over in usual air travels to Manila from Davao.
Roque said Sunday that the president ordered the meeting with Cabinet officials and the NDRRMC. He added that Duterteerte has been monitoring and giving instructions amid the onslaught of Rolly.
State weather bureau PAGASA on Monday noon lifted all storm signals over the country as Rolly moves away from the Philippines.
Weather forecasters however are also monitoring Tropical Storm Siony (international name: Atsani), the 19th tropical cyclone to enter or develop within PAR this year. — Kristine Joy Patag