Fire ‘missing-in-action’ mayors during ‘Ompong’ – Roque

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

Mayors who were missing in action as typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) barrels their respective cities and towns must be fired, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday.

The Palace official made this remark as the interior department launched an investigation on reports that some local chief executives were nowhere to be found during the onslaught of the storm, which was dubbed as the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.

“Tama lang po na kung pupuwede sibakin na iyang mga hindi nagpakita sa panahon ng bagyo dahil dapat panahong casus fortuito (force majeure) eh, inaasahan natin iyong mga lokal na pamahalaan ang mangunguna sa kanilang mga constituents,” Roque said in a Radyo Pilipinas interview.

“Hindi naman po puwede sila ang unang-unang nagtatago, sila iyong unang nagbakasyon. Kaya po sila hinalal ng taong bayan para mag-provide ng liderato sa panahon ng pangangailan,” he added.

INQUIRER.net has earlier reported that mayors, vice mayors, and other officials from Cagayan province went to Malacañang last Friday for a tour but Palace officials said the  event had been “scheduled long before” Ompong threatened northern Luzon.

READ: Palace: Enrile, Cagayan execs’ tour set long before typhoon

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said the Palace requested the cancellation of the visit on account of Ompong but some of the officials had already arrived in Manila even a day before the scheduled visit to Malacañang.

Medialdea added that the visiting Cagayan local officials also assured him that concerns about Ompong were being taken care of even while they were in Manila. /kga