Duterte: Nobody gets left behind

As the nation stumbled from the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, President Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday that no one would be left behind as the government made a quick response to the affected areas.

“Rest assured, the government will not leave anybody behind. We will get through this crisis. I assure you as one nation, kapit po tayo mga kababayan, magbayanihan po tayong lahat (hold on compatriots, let’s help each other),” President Duterte said in an address to the nation.

On the criticisms that he faced for being "missing in action" during Typhoon Ulysses' devastation, President Duterte said that he didn't even sleep a wink because he also prepared for the opening ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Leaders Summit.

“They said, I did nothing but sleep. There’s no time to sleep here," he added.

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said that rescue operations prioritized the residents of Marikina and San Mateo where thousands were forced to stay on the roofs of their houses to be safe from the flood.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed 3,261 personnel for search and rescue operations.

Furthermore, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has accumulated more than P800 million worth of goods and funds for disaster response.

Words by Kyrs Mejares Layout by Kiziah Magbanua