Duterte back in Manila after ashfall-delayed flight

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte is back in Manila from Davao City Monday morning after his flight was called off Sunday night due to ashfall from Taal Volcano’s eruption.

According to his former aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the President’s plane was the “first to land in Manila” after airport authorities grounded  flights for safety concerns.

LOOK: President Duterte flew back to Manila from Davao City this morning. (📷 Sen. Go) @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/ixagdrEFmu

— Darryl John Esguerra (@drrylesguerra) January 13, 2020

Duterte also surveyed the area around Taal Volcano before his aircraft landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 10a.m., Go added.

Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo, meanwhile, said that the Chief Executive failed to fly back to Manila on Sunday night due to “visibility” issues and decided to fly the next morning and “take whatever transportation available to be able to reach Manila.”

“He will be having a live one on one interview with me anytime this week to touch and articulate on matters of national concern,” Panelo added.

Taal Volcano spewed a giant ash column on Sunday afternoon after a phreatic explosion occurred at its main crater.

Ashfall from Taal, the country’s second-most-active-volcano, affected the Calabarzon (Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon) region, as well as Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1212034/taal-volcano-ashfall-reaches-metro-manila

GSG