By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The conduct of forced evacuations in areas in the path of Typhoon Marce (international name: Yinxing) is up to the discretion of local officials, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Tuesday.
“So we leave it to the local officials as with protocol to enforce the evacuations. They must have identified the areas already,” he said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on government preparations for the country’s 13th tropical cyclone for this year.
Teodoro said it would be hard to say what areas should do forced evacuations as this could result in “false information” and “panic”.
For areas or localities that do not practice forced evacuations, Teodoro said the DND, through the regional Office of Civil Defense officials, has asked local officials to “compare information” in making their best prediction on the situation.
“Ngayon, we always urge everyone to err on the side of caution. Kung magkakamali tayo, sa ligtas tayo magkamali. So hayaan po natin at inaatasan ng DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), ang mga local officials na maging maagap sa pagbibigay ng impormasyon sa ating mga kababayan at maging maagap din sa pag-identify at paglikas sa mga tao,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro said the OCD’s social media pages are constantly providing updates and they are coordinating with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in the dissemination of timely and relevant updates on the typhoon.
He also directed municipal disaster risk reduction and management officers to cascade disaster warnings in villages.
“Kung maari po iwanan po nating libre ang mga kalsada at kalye, nakita na po natin na malakas ang hangin at ang baybaying dagat ay may mga malalaking alon kaya sometimes po kalye lamang ang maasahan natin na tanging ugat ng pagbigay ng relief goods at mga kinakailangang serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan kaya kung maari at hindi po importante wag pong gagamitin ang mga lansangan,” the defense chief said.