「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

#NasaanAngPangulo (Where is the President) trended on social media as Super Typhoon "Rolly" battered some parts of the country on Sunday.

A meme of President Rodrigo Duterte while sleeping inside a mosquito net was even posted on Twitter.

But Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, during a meeting of the members of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Quezon City, said Duterte has been monitoring the situation in Davao City.

"He's the one who ordered this press briefing. The President is monitoring," he said, adding that Duterte was "not unreachable" in this time of disaster.

He said the President will be back in Manila on Tuesday.

It was Roque who presided over the more than two-hour NDRRMC meeting, which was participated by some Cabinet members, while local government officials in areas affected by the typhoon also joined via online.

The spokesman said Duterte would address the nation but he could not tell yet when it would be.

"We expect him to address the nation," he said.

As the #NasaanAngPangulo trended, some netizens said if Duterte and his allies in the House of Representatives did not block the renewal of the franchise of former giant network ABS-CBN, more television and radio stations could disseminate the information and warnings about Typhoon Rolly.

This was after NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad appealed to the media to spread the information about the strength of the typhoon, especially in far-flung areas.

A House of Representatives panel rejected last July the ABS-CBN's franchise renewal, resulting in the closure of its free-to-air television and radio stations in Metro Manila and other provinces. DMS