Bong Go: Duterte ‘ready to fly’ to areas affected by ‘Ompong’

President Rodrigo Duterte is “ready to fly” to areas being battered by Typhoon “Ompong” (international name Mangkhut), a Palace official said on Friday.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go said the President is monitoring the typhoon and the situations in the affected provinces.

Go, however, did not disclose where the President is monitoring the typhoon citing “security reasons.”

“He is monitoring [the typhoon] and is ready to fly to affected areas,” Go told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

The President is supposed to have a joint command conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Malacañang on Friday afternoon but the conference was cancelled hours before it was supposed to start.

“It was postponed because the regional directors and commanders need to be in their areas,” Go said.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said “Ompong” was last spotted 605 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, maintaining its maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gustiness of up to 255 kph. /muf