Palace denies Aquino in Zamboanga for Marwan

Climaco talks

In a phone interview on Friday, Climaco told the Inquirer that the President was focused on the details of the housing program for the residents displaced by the 2013 fighting.

READ: Zamboanga City mayor orders resumption of shelter construction for ‘siege’ victims

“The first thing he did when he arrived was to find out about the housing units,” Climaco said.

She said she was among those at the receiving end of the President’s displeasure after she failed to justify the number of houses that she was asking from the national government.

“He was upset that we couldn’t produce the data that he wanted. I, too, was confused,” Climaco said.

Climaco recalled hearing the President mention that it was the birthday of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, so he did not want to be hot-tempered that day.

Climaco said she, Soliman and Abad went out of the conference room to discuss among themselves the rehabilitation efforts in Zamboanga City and then returned to update the President.

Security situation

Climaco added that she knew that the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief, Maj. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, and Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City police chief, had prepared to brief the President about the security situation in the city.

After the briefings that lasted for about two hours, the President and his entourage proceeded to the blast site, the hospital to visit the injured, and to the wake of the two fatalities.

The President also inspected the city jail where the Abu Sayyaf members were detained and suggested improvements to the facility.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Soliman joined the President but rode in a separate vehicle.