MANILA, Philippines - Malacanang has asked the Department of Justice if a forced evacuation of residents in typhoon-wrought areas in the country is possible.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said this is for the residents’ own security, amid news that they have not left their homes even if these have been inundated by floodwaters and their food and water supplies are already running out.
Lacierda said the plan will be 2-pronged, with police authorities also tasked to guard the belongings of the residents who will be evacuated.
The issue was brought up during President Benigno Aquino III’s almost 3-hour meeting with the stakeholders of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday.
There, NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos reported some residents have refused to be evacuated, claiming this constitutes a violation of their human rights.
“Perhaps after the [second, third warnings], we can already bodily carry them,” he said.
Based on its latest monitoring, typhoon Pedring has brought the death toll to 52. Typhoon Quiel, on the other hand, claimed one casualty.
A total of 534,880 families have been affected by the 2 typhoons, lashing the country with massive rains and strong winds only days after the other.
Weather bureau Pagasa said typhoon Quiel is already 370 kilometers West Northwest of Baguio City and is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) later at 8:00 p.m.
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