House set to launch probe into Ulysses floods
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is set to probe the circumstances of the massive flooding that submerged the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela during the height of Typhoon Ulysses' onslaught.
In filing House Resolution No. 1384, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco together with Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Paduano called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the rapid inflow of water into the reservoir, as well as any non-compliance with laws, rules or regulations that may have had a contributory effect to the swelling of Cagayan River.
“As the death toll continues to rise, and the extent of damage is slowly being revealed, there is an urgent need to examine the actions that were taken during, before and after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses,” Velasco said in a statement sent to reporters.
The three House leaders in their resolution cited the “gravity and unprecedented nature of the situation, the geographic propensity of the country to natural calamities, and the need to prevent similar situations from occurring.”
READ: Philippines’ typhoon deaths rise as worst floods in 45 years hit north
According to the statement, House leadership also called on the lower chamber to look into the decision of the National Irrigation Administration to open the spillway gates of Magat Dam, and if such action was done in accordance with duly established guidelines and protocols.
"Given the circumstances and the predicted Category-4 strength of the typhoon, the House leaders said the forecast should have prompted concerned government agencies and local government units to take necessary preemptive action to mitigate possible adverse effects on local communities," the statement reads.
Earlier Monday, Vice President Leni Robredo in an interview aired over ANC's Headstart backed calls for a probe, saying an investigation would be "very necessary to prevent it from happening again."
"Which areas would be in danger of flooding if a certain gate was opened? Which areas would be in danger of flooding if 3 specific gates were opened?" she also said in Filipino.
As of this posting, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council records at least 69 casualties as a result of the typhoon and billions in agricultural and infrastructural losses.
Cagayan province, among the areas hardest-hit by Ulysses, has since declared a state of calamity. Many families remain in evacuation centers still seeking shelter and assistance.
— Franco Luna with reports from Xave Gregorio
Follow this thread for updates on tropical cyclone Ulysses (international name: Vamco).
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarifies that Vice President Leni Robredo did not use any military aircraft to provide relief goods in typhoon-hit Catanduanes.
Lorenzana further explains that an Air Force "Huey helicopter was used on November 3 to deliver relief goods from Robredo from Legazpi City in Albay to Catanduanes.
"I requested the Philippine Air Force to confirm through their flight manifest and they reported that there was no instance that Vice President Robredo boarded any military aircraft in going to Catanduanes," Lorenzana says.
Cagayan province announces that all classes in public and private schools will remain suspended until the end of November.
Gov. Manual Mamba notes that floodwaters are slowly receding but relief distribution to affected families continue.
"...[I]t is necessary to give families and communities enough time to recover from the devastation, and to avoid compounding the stresses of rehabilitating their homes and their livelihoods with the challenges of distance learning," Mamba says in an executive order released Tuesday.
PUBLIC ADVISORY OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR November 17, 2020 KLASE SA LAHAT NG ANTAS, MAPA-PUBLIKO O PRIBADO SUSPENDIDO...
Posted by Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Monday, 16 November 2020
The House of Representatives will investigate the cause of the massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.
“As the death toll continues to rise, and the extent of damage is slowly being revealed, there is an urgent need to examine the actions that were taken during, before and after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses,” Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) says.
Velasco, together with Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (Leyte) and Minority Leader Joseph Paduano (Abang Lingkod Party-list), file a House resolution directing the appropriate committee to look into the matter immediately.
Search and retrieval teams composed of policemen, soldiers and local officials who have been searching for three days now since the harrowing landslide in barangay Viewpoint, Banaue, Ifugao another three cadavers Sunday.
Nine bodies were already recovered from the November 11 nighttime landslide that buried a house where 11 individuals including four DPWH personnel (including 2 Engineers) were having coffee in barangay Viewpoint, Banaue. Search teams are still looking for one of the victims.
A survivor meanwhile is now recuperating. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao
Vice President Leni Robredo visits Cagayan Valley on Sunday morning to deliver relief assistance to victims of the massive flooding brought about by Typhoon Ulysses.
The vice president went to several evacuation centers in Tuguegarao City to bring food packs, drinking water and mattresses, according to her team.
"The Vice President has instructed her office's ground team to assess the situation in hard-hit areas and continue the relief operations in the province, with the help of private partners under the Angat Buhay program," the OVP says.
- Latest
- Trending
