Tuguegarao mayor ready to explain reported absence during floodings due to Ulysses

Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson Soriano on Monday said he is ready to explain to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) his reported absence during the floodings in the city during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

In a television interview, Soriano said Tuguegarao City was never under any storm signals when he left.

"I will not wait for the official communication anymore. I have prepared my explanation. As a matter of fact, I have prepared it last night and hopefully I'll be able to submit it today," Soriano told ANC.

"I have to explain to them that Tuguegarao City and Cagayan [was] never under any storm signals when I left the city..." he added.

Soriano reiterated that he tried to go back to the city on November 12 but he said he could no longer pass through NLeX. He said he was able to return on November 13.

"What I did was I try to come back on the 12th but I was not able to go through NLeX so I waited for the water to subside then proceeded to Tuguegarao and was on Tuguegarao on the 13th which was the height of the flooding so I took over already..." Soriano said.

"I already took over the operation center for our rescue operations at that time. That was the height of the flooding in Tuguegarao," he added.

Soriano admitted he regrets leaving the city as he also apologized over the incident.

"Of course, I really regretted going to Manila that time. But I really did not expect, even the people who were requesting for rescue... they did not expect that the water would be that big,” Soriano said.

"Traditionally we only had one problem... but the rise of the water we really did not expect. I would like to apologize for that," Soriano said.

Preemptive evacuation

In a separate Dobol B sa News TV interview, Soriano said he had monitored the situation even though he was not in Tuguegarao and that preemptive evacuation was already done in the city.

He noted that the city government always prepares whenever there is a storm.

"Nagawa na rin po kami ng preemptive evacuation para doon sa mga tradisyunal na nababaha..." Soriano said.

"Hindi lang po namin inasahan 'yung dami ng tubig na dumagsa..." Soriano said.

Soriano's whereabouts became an issue on November 13 as residents took to social media with calls for rescue as they dealt with widespread flooding.

Netizens found a post by Soriano's daughter Bea Soriano Dee, which has since been deleted, showing the mayor away from the city on November 11.

The DILG said Soriano's absence was a "clear violation" of protocols.

Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año warned that mayors could face complaints for dereliction of duty and gross negligence, as well as violation of the DILG memorandum circular requiring 100% presence of local chief executives before, during, and after the typhoon, if found out that they were not present during the calamity. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News