A day after issuing a tsunami alert 2 that some people mistook as basis for sparking a tsunami scare, the local Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) apologized to the public for their announcement.
“We want to apologize to the public for any panic that the tsunami warning caused. If only we were given a chance to explain why we announced the warning,” Philvocs Lapu-Lapu City officer in charge Robinson Jorgio said.
Jorgio said they didn’t anticipate that the advisory would cause panic, because the announcement is just intended for the local government unit.
He said the local officials would then advise the public to monitor the condition of the seawaters, right after the quake.
Jorgio said it’s possible that a tsunami can occur two to five minutes to within an hour after an earthquake.
“But let’s clarify that we didn’t say that the residents in the coastal areas should be evacuated. We said they should monitor the seawater. But it’s possible for a tsunami to occur due to a strong earthquake,” Jorgio said.
He explained that their announcement was part of their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
“If we did not do it, and a tsunami occurred, we would also be blamed,” Jorgio said.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they identified the two motorcycle-riding men responsible for spreading rumors of a tsunami that was supposed to hit Cebu City last Monday afternoon.
Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Cebu City police chief, said they will interrogate the two men and file charges of public alarm and scandal against them.
Jorgio said aftershocks will still be experienced, because the faultline system has not yet stabilized.
He said their office already recorded 735 aftershocks at 8 a.m. yesterday and more are still expected.
Cebu City Hall employees vacated their offices at the eight-story executive building following another tremor yesterday morning.
The employees gathered at the Plaza Sugbu and at the city hall parking area to wait for word before returning to work.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza ordered the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to hold trainings and awareness seminars down on earthquake drills and safety measures down to the barangay level.
Radaza also said more communication equipment is needed since mobile phones encountered signal problems and could hardly be relied on during emergencies.
For his part, Msgr. Achilles Dakay, media liaison officer of the Cebu Archdiocese, called on the Cebuano faithful to always be prepared and pray to the Sto. Niño for safety.
He said they should be grateful to the Sto. Niño for sparing Cebu from disaster.
Dakay said the quake should teach people not to fear but to prepare oneself for eternal life.
“One should practice detachment or what we called poverty in spirit. If we love God and neighbor, we should not be afraid of anything,” Dakay told Cebu Daily News. With reports from Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc