「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

President Rodrigo Duterte has the "luxury" of not making himself available to the public during the height of Super Typhoon "Rolly" since the government is functioning, an executive of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Monday.

In the televised press briefing, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said the system of disaster management operation has been in place.

"So, the people should not worry why they were not able to see the President because he has that luxury - the government is functioning from the local government unit up to the national level," he said.

Jalad specifically cited the job of the local government units in handling the calamity.

"So, there is no collapse of local governance, no missing local chief executive, they are all accounted before Super Typhoon Rolly came," he said.

Jalad added, "there is also no breakdown of law and order. The PNP (Philippine National Police) is seeing to it that there is none. So, our Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is functioning," Jalad added.

When ''Rolly'' was battering some regions in the country on Sunday, #NasaanAngPangulo (Where is the President) trended on Twitter.

The NDRRMC held its meeting on Sunday and on Monday, but Duterte did not attend.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte closely monitored the situation from Davao City.

In the same NDRRMC briefing, Roque said the meeting was held only on Sunday morning after ''Rolly'' made its second landfall in Tiwi because it was the same day that the typhoon was battering the country.

He also said that even if it was a Sunday, they were able to conduct the disaster meeting. Celerina Monte/DMS