DAVAO CITY (September 14) — President Rodrigo Duterte has directed transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to be the face of the government in their respective provinces as Typhoon Ompong nears the Philippine area of responsibility.
“I have dispatched everybody there including the Cabinet members who come from the provinces where it is expected to hit,” the President said during the command conference in preparation for the typhoon.
“Sabi nila (They said) I would need a face there. But I cannot be everywhere and anywhere. So tutal, taga roon man sila (So since they are from there), I told them to go there. I have dispatched everybody there including the Cabinet members who come from the provinces where it is expected to hit,” he also added.
Bello is from Isabela while Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is from Cagayan, the two provinces where Ompong could make landfall on Saturday, September 15.
“The most accurate way to find out what happened is for Tugade to go home there now and watch their own province,” said Duterte.
The President assigned his political affairs adviser Francis Tolentino to stay on top of the government’s mobilization for Ompong on his behalf.
“Ikaw na lang ang conduit ko sa kanila para isa na lang para I can have the whole gamut of information. Ikaw na lang ang representing the Office of the President. Cut off ako,” said Duterte.
Duterte ordered Tolentino to “observe” disaster response operations and “report” the progress in government efforts.-ezc/NewsLine.ph
