Tuguegarao mayor Soriano draws ire for birthday getaway during Ulysses onslaught

In a now-deleted Instagram photo, it shows Tuguegarao City, Cagayan mayor Jefferson Soriano relaxing in Batangas with his daughter, former model and entrepreneur Bea Soriano-Dee. Soriano has drawn flak on social media for his out of town birthday celebration while Tuguegarao City was facing the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses. Image: Instagram/@beibeidee

MANILA, Philippines — Tuguegarao City mayor Jefferson Soriano drew ire on social media after netizens found out that he was out of town to celebrate his birthday with his family during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

Filipino social media users re-shared a now-deleted Instagram photo of Jefferson’s daughter, former model and entrepreneur Bea Soriano-Dee posted Nov. 11. In the photo, it showed both father and daughter were all smiles as they celebrated his birthday in Batangas.

But according to the mayor, who is a retired Philippine National Police official, he asked permission from Cagayan governor Manuel Mamba for his out of town trip.

Tuguegarao City is the capital of the province of Cagayan, which is currently under a state of calamity due to massive floods brought by Ulysses.

“Yes, nagpaalam po ako kay governor dahil hindi naman po tinatamaan ito ng bagyo,” he explained during the Laging Handa online press briefing.

(Yes, I asked permission from the governor since the city is not usually being hit by a typhoon.)

“There was no typhoon signal so I asked permission from the provincial government. Umalis po ako dito (I left here) last Sunday afternoon,” he added.

But as typhoon started to batter the city, Soriano said he attempted to return to Tuguegarao.

“I tried coming back on the 12th, nung nag-umpisa na po yung ulan, pero sarado po ang Bocaue, ang NLEx,” he said.

(I tried coming back on the 12th, when the rains started, but Bocaue, NLEx was closed.)

DILG to issue show cause order

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the department was verifying reports of Soriano’s supposed out of town trip.

Malaya, in a text message to INQUIRER.net, added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will issue a show cause order to Soriano to explain why he was not in his city when the typhoon hit.

“We will validate the report of the public that he was absent and If true, we are appalled by his behavior,” Malaya said.

“The mayor is the father of his city and he cannot just leave his constituents in the middle of a disaster just to celebrate his birthday,” he added.

The DILG official then cited Oplan Listo, saying that mayors should be on alert 48 hours before the landfall of a typhoon in their area, and even after a typhoon to conduct relief operations.

“Celebrating a bday is not a justifiable reason not to adhere to Oplan Listo protocols,” Malaya said.