Camarines Sur Governor Luigi Villafuerte has responded to rumors that he and his family were in Siargao Island during Typhoon Kristine’s flooding in their province.
The governor and his family were criticized online after reports surfaced that they were allegedly in Siargao as the typhoon battered Camarines Sur.
Social media posts claimed that Villafuerte, along with his father, girlfriend Yassi Pressman, and other family and friends, including SK officials from the province, were spotted on the island.
The Villafuertes received backlash, with critics questioning their absence during the storm.
In a social media post, Villafuerte shared his boarding pass from a return flight to Manila from Siargao, stating they had returned days before the typhoon.
The governor clarified that he was in Siargao for “tourism benchmarking” with SK officials and that they returned on Monday.
Villafuerte added that they initiated evacuation, rescue, and relief efforts as early as Monday.
However, one netizen countered his statement, suggesting that preparations should have been made earlier, while they were still in Siargao, given the typhoon warnings.