Duterte to lead command conference on Typhoon ‘Ompong’

President Rodrigo Duterte will lead a command conference on Typhoon “Ompong” (international name “Mangkhut”) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday afternoon.

The conference will be held at 3 p.m. at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Operations Center in Camp Aguinaldo.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the command conference will be done “to make sure that our state of readiness for ‘Ompong’ is at its highest level.”

Initially, the President was supposed to oversee the test firing of the Spike Extended Range missile from the BRP Davao del Sur (LD602) in Limay, Bataan but the event was called off due to the bad weather.

Currently packing sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour and gusts of 255 kph, “Ompong” is projected to intensify to 220 kph on Thursday. Once “Ompong” intensifies to 220 kph, it will be  categorized by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) as a super typhoon.

“Ompong” is expected to make landfall in northern Cagayan province or the Batanes Group of Islands on Saturday, but it will bring stormy weather to most of Luzon as early as Friday, the state weather bureau noted.

Earlier, Malacañang urged the public to remain alert as “Ompong” nears the country.

“Pinapaalalahanan po namin ang publiko na maging alerto at ligtas sa paparating na bagyo (We are reminding the public to stay alert and safe for the coming typhoon),” Roque said in a Palace briefing. /muf

READ: Palace urges public to prepare, remain alert for ‘Ompong’