Where was he?
Everyone was asking the same question. Where was he? He being President Rodrigo Duterte. When a strong typhoon ravaged a huge part of Luzon, nobody felt his presence to prepare the country for an onslaught. The typhoon flooded Metro Manila, where a greater part of the country's economy has been relying on. Scenes were similar to typhoon Ondoy in 2009 --cars were floating, people were on top of their roofs waiting for rescue.
Unlike previous typhoons where briefings were made publicly and there are a lot of service announcements about this typhoon, we did not see that this time. This is also an effect after one media company was shut down. The feeling is totally different --no urgency, no sympathy, no nothing.
And yet, we continue to ask where he was. A viral video of a woman from Mindanao explained that the president does not need to be physically present in Luzon at a time where we are in the middle of a pandemic. She said that if his workers are efficient enough then they can work and address the concerns. However, presence is totally different from giving instruction from down below. That is why some local government officials who want to help go out of their way to visit areas that have been ravaged by previous typhoons. Even if they are not officials from that area, they go see how they can help.
An aerial assessment can do so much. While it can give you a picture of how it looks like from above, the true stories and affected ones are those below. The helicopter only signifies power and position as compared to those who are helping out. Deep inside I know this could have been prepared for, even if some of the factors were out of our control.
It is disappointing, yes, to have deaths again from a typhoon. It may be a calamity that we cannot control but we could have prepared hard for it. Times are really different now and even for us in Cebu who are too busy living our own lives. It is sunny here and we can continue living our lives. Such a horrible mindset to have as a Filipino.
I don't care where the president may have been or will go. But I do care about the concrete steps he and his people will take in the aftermath of this typhoon. How he will respond will measure what type of leader really is. It will also be a standard if we would still go for this type of leadership after his term expires.
For most of us not affected, I guess we can also donate and give aid to the victims. It’s the least we can do.
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