The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will investigate the overseas trip of Isabela Governor Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III to Germany despite the looming threat of Super Typhoon Uwan in the province.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed on Monday that Albano’s remarks telling residents to remain “chill” as the typhoon approached were in “bad taste,” but he defended the governor as a hardworking public servant.
Albano earlier admitted in an interview that the provincial government had limited capacity to mitigate the impact of the storm. He urged residents to stay “cool” and “chill,” pray for safety, and joked that “we cannot build Noah’s Ark.”
His statements quickly drew criticism on social media, especially after Uwan intensified into a super typhoon that caused widespread flooding and isolated several barangays in Isabela.
Remulla explained that Albano’s words reflected his usual manner of speaking and should not be immediately taken negatively.
He also confirmed that the DILG will look into Albano’s decision to attend an agricultural fair in Germany, despite a directive canceling all official trips to prioritize disaster preparedness.
According to Remulla, Albano filed his leave a month before the trip, apologized for leaving during the storm, and promised to return to the country immediately.
Remulla added that Albano was not the only official who violated the travel directive.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported two fatalities linked to Typhoon Uwan as of Monday.
Bombo Radyo Cauayan is seeking Governor Albano’s reaction regarding the issue.