EDITORIAL — They should have stayed

Several high-ranking government officials are now in hot water for leaving the country as well as their constituents despite their knowledge that a strong storm was headed to their districts or towns with the possibility of causing widespread death and devastation.

They are now facing administrative and criminal charges for allegedly abandoning their posts before the onslaught of Typhoon Tino.

One of them, 5th District Congressman Duke Frasco, said the charges against him were baseless.

“The complaint recently filed before the Office of the Ombudsman is founded on erroneous assumptions and misrepresentations of fact and law.

To clarify, my travel to London was an authorized official mission as part of the Philippine delegation to the World Travel Market (WTM), one of the largest and most influential global travel and tourism expositions in the world. This event provides an important platform for promoting international partnerships, investments, and economic opportunities for our country, particularly in the tourism sector," part of his statement read.

No doubt the others in his situation will use the same defense: official travel. We will leave it to the Ombudsman to decide if this is valid.

However, we also hasten to add that with the knowledge that a particularly-destructive storm was headed their way, or rather, in the way of their districts, towns, and constituents, these officials never ought to have left in the first place.

It’s not that we want them to undergo the same suffering as their constituents; we have no doubt their homes are better situated and built stronger. But they should have been in place to help make sure their people get all the relief and aid they need immediately following the disaster.

Yes, they can delegate those jobs. And also, yes, there are other officials who can coordinate aid and relief in their place. But things are sure to go more smoothly if all the cogs and gears were in place, with no one missing in the usual government chain of command. It also doesn’t look well for them to be far away enjoying the sights and sounds of a foreign country when their constituents are suffering in their own country.

As public officials, they should have known better.