The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) on Sunday denied claims that President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. is in Japan while Severe Tropical Storm Paeng heavily battered parts of the country over the weekend.
"Wala po siya sa Japan (He is not in Japan)," Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil told reporters in a message.
She made the statement after the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo became a trending hot topic on social media platform Twitter.
On Saturday, the Chief Executive presided over a full briefing with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to discuss the response and relief operations after Paeng wreaked havoc in the country via video conference
In the same meeting, NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense administrator Raymundo Ferrer recommended to the President to declare a national state of calamity for a period of one year, unless earlier lifted.
Marcos said he would wait for the proposal and review it first.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was placed under a state of calamity amid landslides and massive floodings, Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim announced on Saturday afternoon.
Marcos was also notably absent during a Sunday briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
As of Monday, the NDRRMC reported that the number of individuals who died due to landslides and floods caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng has soared to 98.
