Duterte briefed on Marikina rescue ops — Lorenzana

Residents affected by floods from Typhoon Vamco are rescued on a boat, at Marikina, Metro Manila, Philippines, November 12, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte received a briefing on Typhoon Ulysses and the ongoing rescue operations in Marikina City, which experienced severe flooding, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

“I just came from the Palace. I briefed him what our troops are doing in Marikina saving people from rooftops,” he told reporters.

Residents sought higher grounds, while others were trapped on their rooftops due to rising floodwaters from nonstop rains.

The flooding in Marikina caused by Typhoon Ulysses brought back memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy, which swept across Metro Manila and parts of Luzon in 2009, and brought a month’s worth of rainfall.

The water level in Marikina River surpassed Ondoy’s peak on Thursday morning. In 2009, the water level rose to 21.5 meters.

But as of 11 a.m., the water level in Marikina River was recorded at 22 meters.

The hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo trended again on Thursday as Duterte joined a video conference of the 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, a gathering of regional leaders.

Some netizens were looking for the President, who was absent during a high-level public briefing on Super Typhoon Rolly, the strongest cyclone in the world this year.

Typhoon Ulysses, while not as strong as Rolly, triggered torrential rain and destructive winds, leaving parts of Metro Manila and Luzon submerged in water.

Lorenzana, who is also the chairperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said there was “huge damage” and “totally flooded villages” in Metro Manila and nearby areas.

/MUF