Gov’t ready to respond as 2 quakes hit PH

Panelo said concerned disaster agencies, including those involved in the provision of basic and health services, are now working round the clock to ensure government service delivery remains unhampered. (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday assured that the government is ready to respond anywhere and anytime as two strong earthquakes rocked the country consecutively over the span of two days.

“We assure our people that the government is on top of the situation and we are ready to respond anywhere and anytime in light of another strong earthquake that hit Eastern Samar this afternoon,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo said concerned disaster agencies, including those involved in the provision of basic and health services, are now working round the clock to ensure government service delivery remains unhampered.

He also asked local politicians to set aside politics during times of calamity.

“We call on all local government executives to be on standby. Let us set aside politics for the time being and let the true spirit of unity, cooperation and humanitarianism prevail,” he said.

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted Eastern Samar at around 1:37 on Tuesday while a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit parts of Luzon late Monday afternoon, killing at least 15 people in Pampanga.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday inspected the quake damages in Pampanga particularly in Porac before attending the situation briefing at the Pampanga Provincial Capitol in San Fernando.