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People should stop asking where the president is during calamities because he always knows what is happening in the country, Malacañang said on Friday after the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo became a trending topic on Twitter again, this time during the onslaught of typhoon “Ulysses” (international name: Vamco) in Luzon.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte was always aware of the situation and had been ordering government agencies to do everything possible to help Filipinos affected by the typhoon.
“People shouldn’t ask where the president is because the president is always aware of the situation. In this age of technology, he knows what is happening in the different areas of the country, “said Roque at a press conference.
Pinoys wellness on your mind
“The president is not missing. He is always with us, he is always thinking about the welfare of our compatriots ”, he added.
Roque also tried to dispel the perception that Duterte was trivializing the plight of Filipinos affected by the typhoon when the 75-year-old leader said he wanted to join them for a swim, but that the Presidential Security Group would not allow him.
Roque claimed that the political opposition was behind the trending hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo and asked him to stop such online activity.
Previously, the hashtag showed a trend in the height of Typhoon “Rolly” (Goni), which mainly hit the Bicol region on All Saints’ Day, when Duterte did not deliver a public speech until the typhoon passed.
No presence required
“Only those who really don’t like the president are saying that. The true message of the president is: ‘I am one with the victims of this typhoon,’ “said Roque.
As for why Mr. Duterte was not present at the meeting of the National Council for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction on Friday, the Palacio official explained that the presence of the President was not necessary since the members of the Cabinet that make up the advice was his alter egos.
“You do not need to chair the meeting because, as you can see, all the agencies, all the departments are functioning and fulfilling their duties, even if the president is not physically in the room,” Roque said.
Duterte was also busy with his online participation in the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday, the day that Metro Manila and the affected provinces suffered the brunt of Ulises’ damage, he said.
“The president also has to fulfill his role as chief architect of foreign policy,” he added.
Duterte delivered a public speech later Thursday, assuring Filipinos affected by the calamity that the government would “leave no one behind.”
Helicopter ride
Malacañang also released a two-minute video that day showing the president in a helicopter conducting an aerial inspection of the flooded areas.
The video came complete with a theme song, a reworked version of “Ipaglalaban Ko (I’ll Fight For It)” by Freddie Aguilar. The song, now titled “Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago” (For Genuine Change), has also been a recurring soundtrack to the president’s late-night briefings on the government’s response to the pandemic.
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