31 reported dead in Maguindanao due to Paeng — BARMM exec

Thirty-one people were reported dead in Maguindanao following floods and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Paeng, an official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said Friday.

In an interview, BARMM Interior and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said 16 of the fatalities were reported in the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, 10 in Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, and five in Upi as of 3 p.m.

“Ang number natin sa ngayon ay nasa 31 na po tayo, ang fatalities natin. Sa Datu Blah Sinsuat, may 10 po na reported dyan,  and meron tayo sa Datu Odin Sinsuat na 16, and meron tayong five na fatalities sa Upi,” he told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

(Our number of fatalities is now at 31. There are 10 reported fatalities in  Datu Blah Sinsuat, 16 in  Datu Odin Sinsuat, and five in Upi.)

Rescue and retrieval operations are still ongoing, according to Sinarimbo. Personnel from the Philippine Army and Bureau of Fire Protection are set to help the operation.

Asked if the flooding and landslide that caused the deaths of the victims were due to Paeng, Sinarimbo said, “Yes. tama yun (that’s right).”

Sinarimbo said six people were reported missing in Datu Blah and three in Upi. He added that there is another reported missing person but it has yet to be verified.

An entire community was allegedly washed out in Barangay Kusiong at the base of Mount Minandar in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Sinarimbo said.

According to him, there was a community of indigenous people that was relocated by the Datu Odin Sinsuat government. Sinarimbo said a relative went to the Operation Center and reported that the entire community was washed out.

“Natabunan daw 'yung buong mga bahay nila, 'yung community mismo (Their homes, the community were supposedly buried under a landslide),” he said.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Nasrullah Imam said 20 houses were wiped out due to the landslide.

"May isang community ng mga katutubo ang na-wipe out dahil sa pagguho ng lupa. Hindi lang po namin mabanggit 'yung exact number ngayon pero mukhang may karamihan po ‘yun dahil isang area po 'yun na naka-locate mga katutubo,” he said.

(A community of indigenous people was wiped out due to landslide. We just can't say yet the exact number of victims.)

The authorities are already conducting retrieval operation, but no other details have been mentioned yet.

Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) public information office told GMA News Online that six were killed and another six were missing in Barangay Matuber in Datu Blah Sinsuat.

In Barangay Pura, a rescue operation is ongoing after a landslide.

Sinarimbo said landslide incidents were also reported in South Upi.

Meanwhile, flooding was also experienced in Cotabato City. He said the floodwater already reached the roof of some homes.

In a Facebook post, Cotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao said the entire city will be placed under a state of calamity.

He said 67,596 households were affected due to flooding in 37 barangays of the city.

The other areas affected by the storm were Parang, Sultan Mastura, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Dati Blah Sinsuat, Upi, South Upi, Northern Kabuntalan, and Guindulungan.

According to Sinarimbo, the BARMM government already deployed rescue teams to concerned areas.

So far, 78,000 people were reported affected by Paeng in the region, he said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council about the developments but it has  yet to reply as of posting time. 

PAGASA bulletin 

At 1 p.m., Paeng was sighted 155 kilometers east northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar or 245 km east southeast of Catarman, Northern Samar, carrying maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 km/h, PAGASA said in its 2 p.m. bulletin.

It was moving westward at 30 km/h.

A total of 15 areas are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 2 due to Paeng and 43 others are under TCWS Number 1.

“Due to the westward movement of this tropical cyclone, a landfall scenario or close approach to Eastern Samar or Northern Samar this afternoon or tonight is not ruled out. Afterwards, Paeng will move generally west northwestward and may traverse the Bicol Region tonight through tomorrow morning,” PAGASA said.

“Between tomorrow afternoon and evening, the center of Paeng may make another landfall over the east coast of Quezon (including Polillo Islands) or Aurora,” it added.

PAGASA said it expects Paeng to further intensify while moving over the warm waters of the Philippine Sea and may reach a severe tropical storm category within 24 hours. — RSJ/AOL, GMA News