By Rizal Obanil “Bakit nasabi niya, siya ba’y Diyos?” Ang Diyos nga ay ‘di nakapagsabi ng pagsabog, e tayo pa kaya na pare-parehong tao lamang?” (Why did he say that? Is he God?  Even God himself doesn’t know when an eruption will occur. What more us ordinary people?) Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan (FACEBOOK) This was the reaction of Talisay, Batangas Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan when asked about the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) recommendation to discourage people from returning to their homes within the danger zone around Taal Volcano. Natanauan, interviewed by Noli De Castro in his program over radio DZMM on Monday, aired his side on the continuing enforcement of the danger zone in areas affected by the eruption. “Ay, ‘yun ang opinion niya.  Nag-iisa siyang nag-o-opinyon.  Ay kami’y buong Batangas ang naaapektuhan sa ekonomiya.  Pag-aralan niyang mabuti (That is their opinion),” he said, seemingly referring to the government agency in the first person.  It was unclear whether Natanauan was actually referring to a particular volcanology expert, which in most cases is Undersecretary Renato Solidum. (That’s his opinion. He’s alone in that opinion. While we in Batangas, our economy is being affected. He should study it more.) Natanauan believes their constituents should be allowed to go back because in his opinion the situation has not worsened. In fact, he believes news reports have made out the situation to be worse than it actually is. The vice mayor gave his own interpretation of the volcano’s activity. “… Noong 1965, pumutok s’ya. Sabi ng Tatay, may mga namatay doon, kasi wala pang bangka noon, wala pang de-motor na bangka, sa isla. … Noon ay nag-produce ng lava.  Ibig sabihin, once ang isang bulkan ay nag-produce na ng lava, ‘yan ay sobrang init.” (In 1965 it erupted.  My father said that many people lost their lives then because they didn’t have a boat, there were no motorized bancas on the island…. Back then, it produced lava. This means when a volcano has produced lava then its temperature is extremely hot.) “Mainit siya, kaya nag-produce. Gumulong ang lava sa tubig, pagkakabagsak sa tubig ay tumitigil sya kasi nababasa.  Ngayon namang putok na ito ay ang prinoduce nya lang ay parang sumingaw lang siya na alikabok lang. Hindi siya nagproduce ng lava. Ibig sabihin, pahina na siya ng pahina, sa’king opinyon.” (It is hot, that’s why it produced lava. The lava hit the water and ceased moving because it was cooled down by the water. This eruption only produced steam and dust. It did not produce lava. That means it’s weakening, in my opinion.) For this and many other reasons, he wants to appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to convince Phivolcs to change their opinion on the matter. When de Castro reminded the local official that the Phivolcs experts use instruments to measure the volcanic activities, Natanauan answered: ““Bakit n’ung pumutok na ito hindi nila nasukat?”  Ngayon lang sila nagsasabi na nasusukat nila.” (How come when Taal erupted they weren’t able to measure it? It is only now that they are saying they measure it.) Natanauan even went so far as to say that in the entire world, no one, not even scientists, have been able to predict a volcanic eruption. READ MORE: Solidum responds with facts to Talisay vice mayor's ‘Is he God?' comment