President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that he decided to postpone his visit to the areas in Northern Luzon hit by an earthquake to allow the different local government units (LGUs) and agencies to carry on with their jobs without unnecessary disturbance.
Marcos said this after a 7.0-magnitude on July 27 shook the Ilocos Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and caused the death of four persons as of Wednesday afternoon.
In a first press briefing, Marcos explained that visiting any area immediately after a disaster happened would just disrupt the operations of agencies and the LGUs.
"I am staying away from going to the affected areas for a very simple reason. It has been my experience as governor; it has been my experience in Yolanda that when national officers come to the affected areas, immediately, ginugulo lang namin yung trabaho ng mga local (we are just disturbing the agencies and the local government)," he said.
"Pupunta ako doon, hahanap pa ako ng pulis para pag-secure, kailangan ako i-meeting ng mga local officials. Eh, marami silang ginagawa (If I go there, I would have to look for security and meet local officials. They already have a lot on their plate)," he added.
According to Marcos, he would wait for them to report on the situation on the ground before he visits the quake-hit areas. He said he might go on such a visit on Thursday, July 28.
"I said, let them do their work. Let us wait for them to tell us what the true situation is," he said.
"Maybe I can schedule a trip, perhaps tomorrow (Thursday), as soon as possible," he added.
NOW: President Bongbong Marcos holds press briefing on the Abra earthquake. ( RTVM Screenshot) @manilabulletin pic.twitter.com/CQ07SPOCj8
— Argyll Cyrus Geducos (@argyllcyrus_MB) July 27, 2022
During the same press briefing, Interior Secretary Behur Abalos reported that 15 provinces, including 15 cities and 280 municipalities, were affected by the earthquake.
There were also reports of road closures in parts of Abra, power interruptions in Abra and Benguet, intermittent communication lines in the Ilocos Region and some parts of CAR, and minor damage in other areas.
Abalos said that four persons reportedly died due to the earthquake while 60 others were injured. Most injuries reportedly came from Abra, with 44 injured individuals.
According to President Marcos, the government has already done everything possible to provide initial assistance and response to the disaster.
"This situation continues to develop, and it will do so for the next few days. But I think everything that can be done has been done," he said.
"We have even anticipated the needs of those who have become victims of this very strong earthquake," he added.