ANGELES CITY – Sec. Edgardo “Ed” Pamintuan yesterday defended President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from verbal assaults on the national government as “obviously not being ready for a disaster.”
Pamintuan, chairman of the Subic Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), said Sen. Manny Villar should have spoken with Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno about the disaster preparedness program of Angeles as the city government was “less than ready for typhoons and disasters.”
“Instead of criticizing the President on disaster preparedness, Villar should have lectured Mayor Blueboy because he was not ready for a disaster. Worse, the mayor went to Macau just before Ondoy hit the country,” said Pamintuan. “He arrived when the typhoon was over.”
Nepomuceno hosted Villar at the city hall on Wednesday as he virtually endorsed his candidacy, introducing him as “the next president.”
Villar assailed the Arroyo administration’s handling of the floods spawned by typhoon Ondoy.
“They were not ready. The response should be automatic,” said Villar to reporters in a press conference at Nepomuceno’s office.
Pamintuan belied the statements of Villar that the government was not prepared.
“They should remember that Ondoy was the worst typhoon since June 1967 and double the strength of typhoon Katrina in New Orleans, USA. The US government failed to respond at once, it took them three days to respond, and five days after Katrina left, hundrends were still on roofs,” said Pamintuan.
He added that Arroyo and Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro Jr. were already wading in floodwaters and directing officials what to do on the same day Ondoy hit Metro Manila. Teodoro is the administration’s bet for president.
Pamintuan, chairman of the Subic Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), said Sen. Manny Villar should have spoken with Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno about the disaster preparedness program of Angeles as the city government was “less than ready for typhoons and disasters.”
“Instead of criticizing the President on disaster preparedness, Villar should have lectured Mayor Blueboy because he was not ready for a disaster. Worse, the mayor went to Macau just before Ondoy hit the country,” said Pamintuan. “He arrived when the typhoon was over.”
Nepomuceno hosted Villar at the city hall on Wednesday as he virtually endorsed his candidacy, introducing him as “the next president.”
Villar assailed the Arroyo administration’s handling of the floods spawned by typhoon Ondoy.
“They were not ready. The response should be automatic,” said Villar to reporters in a press conference at Nepomuceno’s office.
Pamintuan belied the statements of Villar that the government was not prepared.
“They should remember that Ondoy was the worst typhoon since June 1967 and double the strength of typhoon Katrina in New Orleans, USA. The US government failed to respond at once, it took them three days to respond, and five days after Katrina left, hundrends were still on roofs,” said Pamintuan.
He added that Arroyo and Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro Jr. were already wading in floodwaters and directing officials what to do on the same day Ondoy hit Metro Manila. Teodoro is the administration’s bet for president.
