MANILA, Philippines — For Bagong Alayansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary-General Renato Reyes, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is already enough to respond to disasters and provide the needed relief and rehabilitation.
No Mr. President. We do not need another task force for disaster relief. We already have a government body where all relevant departments are represented and are tasked to coordinate. It's called the NDRRMC.
— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) November 14, 2020
This was in reaction to the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to create an inter-agency task force—distinct from the NDRRMC—that will be tasked to fast track relief efforts for typhoon victims.
Duterte orders creation of task force to fast-track rehab efforts for Ulysses victims
“No Mr. President. We do not need another task force for disaster relief,” Reyes said in a tweet on Saturday.
“We already have a government body where all relevant departments are represented and are tasked to coordinate. It’s called the NDRRMC,” he added.
Duterte’s decision to create the task force comes as Typhoon Ulysses pounded parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, causing massive flooding in the capital region.
Meanwhile, parts of Cagayan Valley, particularly in Cagayan and Isabela, now face a crisis as these areas are currently submerged in floods due to Ulysses, as well as the release of water from the Magat Dam after reaching the spilling level.
Before this, Super Typhoon Rolly, considered the strongest tropical cyclone in the world for 2020, also battered Southern Luzon.
