MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo made separate visits to areas in Bicol region hit by Super Typhoon Rolly on Monday afternoon.
Duterte and Sen. Bong Go, his former long-time aide but is now a lawmaker, are flying to Manila from Davao. But Go told reporters that they went down in Guinobatan in Albay.
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Go, often Duterte’s de-facto spokesperson, said the president ordered an investigation into alleged quarrying in the area following complaints of the residents.
The president was in Davao when Rolly barrelled towards parts of Luzon and was not present, even via videoconferencing, in the two briefings on government response to Rolly.
By Sunday evening, #NasaanAngPangulo became a trending topic on Twitter, criticizing the president’s absence during the onslaught of the typhoon that left at least 16 people dead.
The Palace however said that the president has been monitoring the situation from Davao and has given instructions to hold a meeting with cabinet secretaries on Sunday on Rolly.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will meet with officials late afternoon of Monday to discuss government response to Rolly.
Robredo visits, brings relief packs to CamSur
Robredo meanwhile arrived in Camarines Sur at past 1:00 p.m. on Monday, and is set to go around Albay and Catanduanes as well, where Rolly made its first two landfalls as a super typhoon.
In a Facebook post, Robredo said she left Manila before dawn of Monday.
The vice president went on Facebook live briefly on Monday and showed Sabang National High School in Camarines Sur, which she said served as one of the biggest evacuation centers in the area. She said they gave relief goods to the families seeking temporary shelter in the school.
The vice president however shared that while families were staying in the classrooms, the strong winds of Rolly tore the roofs and damaged the ceilings.
A separate Facebook post of Robredo’s office showed their team and Angat Buhay partners preparing food packs on Sunday afternoon. It said that they will be giving these away to those residing in Calabanga and Magarao, coastal and flood prone communities, in Camarines Sur.
Before she became the vice president, Robredo served as representative of the third district of Camarines Sur. — Kristine Joy Patag