By DIEGO MORRA
As several regions were being battered by Typhoon Crising, causing the deaths of at least five people, with seven missing, the pernicious “habagat” monsoon rains caused floods to swamp Metro Manila, with the Ipo, Binga and Ambuklao dams opening their sluice gates to release water, adding more woes to provinces that have already been inundated.
It was not an auspicious time for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to leave as people were being evacuated but fly away he did nonetheless, earning the same kind of criticisms heaped on Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio, who, with her family in tow, flew to Germany last year ostensibly to watch a Taylor Swift concert while Typhoon Carina flooded the metropolis, wrecking homes and livelihoods in the process. In Marcos Jr.’s case, the destination was Washington, D.C. for chats with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and others. Earlier, presidential adviser Frederick Go and other officials pleaded with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other officials to reduce the 20% tariff on Philippine exports to the US.
Now, Bongbong and Sara share the same boat, and both of them are now being tarred for being absent when typhoon victims needed them most. Surely, they must bear their version of the scarlet letter as the people they swore to protect, defend, and promote swim in floodwaters, retrieve their crops and belongings amid the pouring rain, and ensure the safety of their families. Last year, Sara’s excuse for not staying as Typhoon Carina savaged Metro Manila was that the trip was scheduled for a long time, perhaps in time for the Taylor Swift concert, but no one bought the excuse. As one official stressed, Sara spends more time away from her two offices. Perhaps, it is in keeping with her revelation that she doesn’t like crowds, like the sea of flood victims. The dog won’t hunt.
In the case of Bongbong, it is fairly easy for the Palace to shoot directives in succession, telling his three-member caretaker team to dispatch food, medicines, water, blankets and other needs to the thousands who have been evacuated, provide instant shelters and deploy clean-up teams in all the affected regions. As the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) suggested, the Department of Agriculture (DA) should immediately compensate farmers, fishermen and fishpond operators who lost their livelihood. It should be ministerial on the part of the DA to do so since it has the resources, as well as the promised crop insurance, to provide temporary relief to food producers. For a government with an official propaganda army, it could have easily issued a calendar story, like the President ordering swift action, even as he sleeps on board a jet bound for the great, inglorious and incorrect USA.
“Sa gitna ng matinding pinsalang dulot ng bagyong Crising at pinalakas na habagat, bigo ang administrasyon na agarang tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mamamayan—lalo na ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” KMP said on July 21. Citing government’s own figures, no less than 800,000 people in 1,556 barangays were affected by the calamity. “Libu-libong pamilya ang lumikas sa evacuation centers, habang marami pa ang nananatiling lubog sa baha, walang sapat na pagkain, inuming tubig, at tulong mula sa gobyerno. Sa mga bayan ng rehiyon tulad ng La Union, napinsala ang mga pananim at nahinto ang kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda—na walang kasiguruhan kung kailan makakabangon.”
“Habang humihingi ng saklolo ang taumbayan, inuna pa ni Marcos Jr. ang pagpupulong sa mga opisyal ng Estados Unidos. Imbes na pamunuan ang disaster response at suportahan ang mga nasalanta, mas piniling ilako ang interes ng bansa sa mga dayuhang kapangyarihan—palatandaan ng pagiging matapat niya sa among imperyalista, ngunit pabaya sa mamamayan,” KMP secretary general Ronnie Manalo questioned Marcos Jr.’s priorities and the seeming lack of empathy for people in dire straits, including those in the Ilocos region. Marcos Jr. left while a typhoon was besieging the country. This is a clear case of neglect by a President who was not elected to sell the country’s sovereignty and compromise the national interest as he pays homage to Trump. Reminds us of the Turkish proverb: “When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king; the palace becomes a circus.”
Observers have noted that both Marcos Jr. and Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio are not captains of the ship of the state, as both have abandoned their duties, with Sara flying to Germany when Typhoon Carina struck and Marcos Jr. reporting for duty in Washington DC while Typhoon Crising wrought havoc on the country. Where has leadership gone? What has happened to those leaders whose sacred vow was to do justice to any citizen, including those powerless to confront the wrath of nature? Marcos Jr. and Sara are proving to be the best argument why this country does not deserve politicians who are only good at promoting their fiefdoms and their dynasties, leaving people out to dry. It is, forsooth, a sad commentary that both the contesting Marcos and Duterte dynasties have proven to be rank amateurs in statesmanship. Tinimbang na subalit parehong kulang.
The DA has said preliminary assessments showed that rice, corn, high-value crops and livestock and poultry in Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and Western Visayas suffered P52.74 million in damage, with 2,099 farmers losing 2,147 metric tons (MT) of produce and 2,466 hectares of farmers ruined. These figures are sure to rise as damage assessment and validation continues, Manalo said. He added that members of the Alyansa dagiti Mannalon ken Mangngalap ti La Union (AMMLU) have been among the worst-hit by Typhoonn Crising. They need water, food, clothes, seeds and farm tools aside from financial assistance to help them recover. KMP supports their plea and insists that immediate compensation must be extended to farmers and fishermen who have to rehabilitate their communities and livelihoods.
