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Pres. Aquino skips Yolanda commemoration, attends wedding
(Photo by Rey Baniquet / Malacañang Photo Bureau / PCOO)
The people of Tacloban City, Leyte along with politicians from various parts of the country commemorated yesterday the second anniversary of the super typhoon which took hundreds of lives in the Visayan province.
Two memorial markers were unveiled, one near the Tacloban astrodome and another in the coastal village of Anibong where a ship was beached. Vice President Jejomar Binay was present in the unveiling ceremony, along with his running mate, Sen. Gringo Honasan.
Sen. Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos, kin of Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Leyte representative Martin Romualdez, also flew to Tacloban.
The president, on the other hand, did not join the commemoration ceremonies. While other politicians were busy shaking the hands of Taclobanons, President Aquino was rubbing elbows with the guests of Kester Tan, son of businessman Andrew Tan, in his wedding with Kelsey Cheng at Newport City in Pasay.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras were among the guests.
The president has issued a statement where he asked the public to pray “for the loved ones we lost, and pay tribute to the soldiers and civilians who placed themselves in danger to help their fellow man.”
“May the memory and lessons of that time inspire us to persevere in building back better, and in living up to the solidarity, resilience and generosity of Filipinos from all walks of life demonstrated not only then, but in all times of challenge and adversity,” President Aquino said through his spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.
Early this year, Pres. Aquino also missed the arrival honors ceremony for the Special Action Force group killed in Mamasapano encounter.
Aquino went to Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Plant inauguration in Laguna, instead.
“The President did not skip the arrival honors today, it presupposes he was originally scheduled to attend it, which was not the case,” said Abigail Valte, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson.
Rob Caliente
November 11, 2015 at 1:41 AM
Same thing Happen Again ! Mitsubishi First Priority than SAF44 and Now Wedding First than Yolanda Victims and Survivors Commemoration…
Regina Villaflor
November 11, 2015 at 1:44 AM
He is the President of the Phils…! Not a CEO of the company…
John Carlo Mateo
November 11, 2015 at 1:46 AM
People will never forget what happened when Yolanda hits our country, especially the actions of our politicians
Jaime Dela Merced
December 16, 2015 at 1:11 AM
You want to know about the actions of our politicians? Here’s one of them; the one running for President, Mar Roxas.
ROXAS & TYPHOON YOLANDA.
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Yolanda (international name Haiyan) was the world’s strongest typhoon on record to make landfall! It was also a storm that the Phil. Govt. claims it had prepared for, but these questions remain:
a) why did it take days before help was extended to those who had survived?
b) Why did it take days before the dead were removed from the streets? Why was there no plan for the dead?
c) Why did survivors need to see their dead where the flood waters had left them, and why did they have to see their dead dropped in mass graves a week after the storm?
d) Why did so many have to suffer the injustice of not knowing where the bodies of their loved ones were?
CNN’s Anderson Cooper was on ground zero and witnessed the questions listed above but never knew the answers. Instead, he was lambasted for his negative reporting by Korina Sanchez, Roxas’ wife and who was reporting from the comfort of her home city.
As to why it took days for help to be extended to the homeless, cold, and hungry survivors, the answer was— there was a system for distributing relief
goods. The DSWD Secretary insisted this needed to be followed. This was why people who had walked into Tacloban in the hope of getting help were told to go back to their barangays, so that they could be checked off a list of people who were to receive relief packs. This system, it was claimed, would keep the relief operations from becoming chaotic. It would ensure that no one got more than what they needed, or deserved. And Roxas, in Tacloban at
that time, saw to it that the “rules” would be followed, despite starving
people falling before his eyes! As to why Roxas, manager of the Dept. of Transportation & Communication, manager of Dept. of the Interior & Local Govt., and now Presidential aspirant, could display such insensitivity and utter lack of compassion, could never be explained. Oh, we forget—Roxas is
Wharton-educated, and at Wharton they probably taught him to always follow
rules, never think on his feet, notwithstanding catastrophe happening right
before his very eyes! And Roxas had another answer for the delay in relief goods, as he was talking to Mayor Romualdez—“Remember, you are a Romualdez, he is an Aquino . . . . “ When Roxas arrived in Tacloban, he was
looking for the DILG people, the firemen, etc. Didn’t he realize that those people are Tacloban residents and were victims as well?! A Wharton graduate!!!! And with all the devastation before his eyes, unable to do anything, he went to his phone to call his wife! Whoa!!! The DILG Secretary looking to his wife for help?! There’s truth to the rumor, after all, that this guy cannot handle stress!
SO MUCH FOR A WHARTON-EDUCATED PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT.
I’D RATHER VOTE FOR THE FEISTY, CURSING, WOMANIZING, SON-OF-A-BITCH, WHO COULD ONLY FINISH THE 4-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL IN 6, BUT WHO HAS PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE BUMPS IN LIFE.
Crizel Santiago
November 11, 2015 at 1:48 AM
The President’s job include those ceremonial in nature. If he’s occupying any other position in the gov’t, fine. But c’mon. He’s the head of State, and Yolanda tragedy changed the course of the lives of many Filipinos. What is a few minutes to show your face and let people feel that you’re with them in remembering this day?
Victor Bellarmino
November 11, 2015 at 1:51 AM
Hindi sya kailangan imbitahin…He is the President and he can impose his will, do whatever he wants to do and just show his autistic face in Tacloban. Ayaw nya talaga makiramay. Baka major contributor itong si Andrew Tan sa Liberal Party?
Jaime Dela Merced
December 16, 2015 at 1:06 AM
THE WEDDING WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ANGUISH OF THE YOLANDA VICTIMS!