Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday said Isabela Gov. Rodolfo Albano III was only a ‘victim of bad taste’ after the latter’s ‘chill’ remark over Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong).
Albano caught flak from social media users after telling residents in a radio interview to ‘just chill’ as Uwan-then a super typhoon-loomed over the province last weekend.
‘That ‘chill’ remark, that’s the usual way that Rodolfo talks, but he is honestly a very hardworking local government official. He is just a victim of bad taste,’ Remulla said in an interview over ANC’s Headstart.
‘But, credit to the Isabela officials, they were very prepared, and we were in contact with them during the OCD (Office of Civil Defense) meetings. His vice governor was very ready,’ Remulla added.
Albano previously told the Inquirer that he ‘didn’t care and didn’t read’ the social media users’ comments about his ‘chill’ remark.
The Isabela governor is in Germany to attend an annual agricultural trade fair, but he promised to catch the first available flight home, according to the DILG chief.
Remulla himself has been the subject of online flak for his communication style in announcing class and government work suspensions amid inclement weather brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones.
The DILG chief defended his messaging, saying ‘a little humor never hurt anyone.’
Uwan made landfall over Dinalungan, Aurora, on Sunday night.
It weakened into a typhoon early Monday morning.
Uwan was last spotted 135 kilometers (km) west-northwest of Bacnotan, La Union at 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its latest update.
The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 130 km per hour (km/h) and gusts of up to 160 km/h while moving west-northwest at 20 km/h.