The overwhelming October-end and terrifying start of November haunt the Philippines as Super Typhoon Rolly (Goni), marked as the ‘strongest tropical cyclone’ this 2020, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
Storm signals were raised on October 31 as PAGASA laid out the forecast regarding Typhoon Rolly. The Palace also advised the public to stay calm yet vigilant, as the typhoon neared the country.
At 10 in the morning of Sunday, November 1, hours after the 1st and 2nd landfall of Super Typhoon Rolly, a public briefing was held at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Quezon City with only the Presidential Spokesman’s supervision. At that time, numerous landfalls happened, Metro Manila and a lot more provinces are at Signal #4, and still no President was present.
#NasaanAngPangulo trended on Twitter, exposing all sentiments and frustrations of Filipinos. In the midst of a calamity, the one leading the country must be the one facing the public. The one leading the people must be with the people. This is not a demand, nor a beg for the President to stop the typhoon—it is a call for his presence, this is a call of his duty.
What do people expect from a president? Of course, its leadership through these terrifying times. The country is facing a calamity in the midst of a pandemic, and the one thing he can do is at least, face the country’s people.
#NasaanAngPangulo is not just directed to what is happening at the moment of the crisis. It is searching for the ‘supposed’ leader back when the COVID-19 pandemic started. This is a call for the President to stand for its people—a call for accountability.
Did this country ever have a president when he stepped in that position?
#NasaanAngPangulo would have trended every time this government imposed the lack of competency during these crises, but maybe this is the right time to hold the President, this government, accountable for their shortcomings, as this country is the one suffering the consequences.
Kudos to the local government units who responded to the call for help from the people. Almost one million people were evacuated at the event of the crisis. Different LGUs, especially those who are expected to be deeply affected by the typhoon, braced their citizens for the violent Typhoon Rolly.
To the Filipinos who never fail to be resilient during these times, there are people in those positions above that should be responsible for what you are experiencing right now. To those people above, how many more people do we have to lose?
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