MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte attempted aerial surveys over the flooded areas of Marikina and Rizal but they were canceled twice due to weather conditions, Malacañang said on Tuesday, August 14.

“Weather, choppers couldn’t fly,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a news briefing on Tuesday, August 14, explaining the reasons why the plan didn’t push through.

Duterte was supposed to go on an aerial inspection on Monday, August 13, which  even announced to Palace reporters. But later in the day, Malacañang said it was canceled.

Another trip was supposedly set on Tuesday.

“There was a helicopter ride scheduled for today. It was recommended to be canceled again,” Roque said.

The Presidential Security Group ruled out land travel to the flooded areas due to security concerns.

At the height of the heavy rains and flooding in Metro Manila over the weekend, Duterte was “keeping warm” but was also updated on the disaster management operations, said Roque.

“Like everyone, keeping warm, monitoring the situation. The President is a news junkie….He was in contact with individuals to make sure that delivery of assistance could be facilitated,” said the spokesman.

He said the President was “very concerned” about the flooding and about how government agencies were mobilizing to address flooding incidents, though Malacañang did not issue any official statement regarding the disaster or orders to concerned agencies on Saturday, when floodwaters were at their highest.

On Sunday, August 12, Roque issued a statement to remind people in flooded areas to be alert and to keep safe, and gave updates from the National Disaster Reduction and Risk Management Council.

MIA?

Some netizens wondered where Duterte was during the weekend of heavy rain and flooding. Duterte, who brands himself as an “action man,” is usually quick to visit calamity-stricken areas. The hashtag #NaSaanPangulo trended on Twitter over the past few days.

While Duterte did not visit flood-hit areas, he did show up at two Malacañang events on Monday – the oathtaking of new government officials and the send-off of Filipino athletes to the 2018 Asian Games.

Roque on Tuesday also stressed that Duterte would rather shun media coverage of events where he gives out government assistance.

“He does not want media publicity when he goes around extending assistance to individuals,” said Roque.

However, there have been many instances when media were allowed to cover Duterte as he distributed relief goods and other forms of assistance to calamity-hit areas.

These include his visit to Batanes in 2016 after it was ravaged by Typhoon Ferdie and his meeting with  fire victims in San Miguel, Manila, where his office distributed assistance, an his awarding of assistance to wounded security personnel. 

One Palace official, however, did visit flood-hit areas. Special Assistant to the President Bong Go was in Marikina City on Sunday to distribute donations from his “private” supporters. He even brought along a Duterte impersonator to entertain flood victims in an evacuation center. – Rappler.com