Vice President Leni Robredo (right) and Senator Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirants Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Manny Pacquiao banded together to extend help to people affected by Typhoon Odette.
The team-up happened after Pacquiao appealed to his fellow presidential aspirants to “set aside all politics and join together all our resources to help our fellow Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao” who were affected by the typhoon.
“I appeal to my fellow candidates, VP Leni Robredo, Bongbong Marcos, Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, Senator Ping Lacson, Ka Leody, that due to the devastation of typhoon Odette that we set aside all politics and join together all our resources to help our fellow Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao,” Pacquiao said on Facebook and Twitter.
“Magsama-sama tayo upang tulungan ang ating mga kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyo (Let us join together to help our countrymen who are affected by the typhoon). Now is the time to come together as one. Tulungan natin sila (Let us help them),” he added.
#OdettePH pic.twitter.com/SZS0l8OKeX
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) December 16, 2021
Over Twitter, Robredo said she is heeding the call of Pacquiao.
“Joining you in this call, Sen. Manny… Our team will get in touch with yours,” Robredo said.
“Thank you VP Leni. Let’s begin coordinating our efforts, we already prepared cargo lanes so we can mobilize and respond quickly,” Pacquiao said in response.
Based on the state weather bureau’s 5:00 a.m. bulletin, the center of Odette was located 75 kilometers southwest of Iloilo City as of 4:00 a.m. The typhoon weakened a bit although it still packed maximum sustained winds of 155 km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 235 kph while moving westward at 35 kph.
Over 30 transmission lines were rendered out of commission in the Visayas and Mindanao due to the typhoon, according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
READ: ‘Odette’ now over Panay Gulf as it heads towards Palawan — Pagasa