Storm floods spill over as stage for aid-bearing pols

WADING IN FLOODWATERS Former Vice President Leni Robredo (extreme right, in brown shirt) on Thursday joins the distribution of relief goods in her hometown of Naga City. —Egine Oquindo Baral/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — In the wake of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami), social media not only brimmed with sob stories and grim images of the calamity but also went abuzz with posts about politicians bearing aid—inspiring awe in some, cynicism in others.

Not all storms, after all, had such timing, having struck just two weeks after the registration period for candidates in the 2025 midterm elections.

READ: Floods causing delays in aid delivery; rescue boats requested

Former Vice President Leni Robredo literally waded into the waist-deep flood in her hometown of Naga City, joining volunteers as they went around neighborhoods pushing a rubber boat loaded with bags of relief goods, as shown in a now-viral photo.

The popular Bicolana lawyer is running for mayor of Naga where facing four opponents, she is considered a shoo-in who could further build on the acclaimed leadership and legacy of her late husband Jesse.

Posts about Robredo came with updates on the fundraising drive and other initiatives of Angat Buhay Foundation, the nonprofit set up after she lost in the 2022 presidential race. It had received about P26 million in cash donations and some P23 million worth of provisions as of Saturday.

‘Boat buying’

In another “ayuda” photo posted online, ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo, who is running for senator under the Marcos administration-backed ticket Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas, is shown standing next to a truck being loaded with sacks of rice intended for the flood victims.

According to the Philippine News Agency, ACT-CIS has donated 1,000 sacks of rice to the Philippine Coast Guard and 500 sacks to Angat Buhay, while another 500 sacks will be brought directly to storm-hit communities.

While Tulfo continues to be associated with his partylist group, he also joined the ruling Lakas-CMD early this month.

In Camarines Sur, one of the first provinces to bear the brunt of Kristine, two members of the dominant political clan—Representatives Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte and son Miguel Luis Villafuerte—went out on boats to go house to house and personally hand out cash to flood victims.

Miguel Luis went a notch further by announcing on Facebook that he would also raise funds for the relief effort through an auction of his personal items.

Their photos immediately gave rise to a new pun courtesy of netizens: “Boat buying.”

‘Shooo shooo away!’

But other politicians who also tried to make some splash during Kristine had to paddle back, so to speak.

Mayor Niña José-Quiambao of Bayambang, Pangasinan, made light of the widespread brownout by suggesting that families, husbands, and wives, or lovers just settle down for “candlelight dinners” while the municipal government awaited updates from the local power cooperative.

“Meanwhile, stay safe, dry and let’s pray together to shoooooo away this bagyong kristine!!! Shoooo shooo away!!! Woooshhh woosh!!!” read parts of Quiambao’s post, which was later deleted after kicking up its own storm of reactions.

In Bulacan, not everyone became appreciative of the relief goods prepared by Meycauayan City Councilor Ronald Palomares, who had alcoholic drinks thrown in, as shown in photos he posted online on Oct. 24.

“Serbisyong Tapat, hindi pa rin ba ko sapat? (Isn’t my service sincere enough?)” wrote Palomares, who prefaced this question with liquor icons.

The councilor deleted the post and apologized the next day, admitting “my humor may have been inappropriate to some.” But he also explained that he only wanted to “bring some lightheartedness” and “positivity to others.”