Maguindanao gov’t to decide whether to continue search, rescue ops for 17 missing

The Maguindanao provincial government and its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) are set to decide on Monday whether or not the search and rescue operations for the 17 missing individuals would still push through, following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae).

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday, Maguindanao Provincial Administrator Atty. Cyrus Torreña said that Paeng left at least 63 dead and 17 missing in the province amid floods and landslides.

Torreña said he scheduled a meeting with the PDRRMO to decide on their next move regarding the 17 missing as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) already advised to give up the search and rescue operations and to move forward with the retrieval operations.

“Hanggang ngayon kahit medyo malabo na ang survival, hinahanap pa rin natin ang 17 na missing,” he said.

(Until now, even though their survival rate is a bit small, we are still looking for the 17 missing.)

“‘Yung ating [PCG], ang kanilang advice ay i-give up na ang rescue and then totally mag-convert na tayo into retrieval. Ibig sabihin no’n, tatanggapin na natin na ‘yung ating 17 na missing ay posible na wala na talagang survivor,” he added.

(The PCG advised to give up on the rescue operations and then totally convert to retrieval. That means, we will accept that it is possible that there are no more survivors among the 17 missing.)

As to evacuees, Torreña said that less than 4,000 of them have remained staying in evacuation centers.

He also asked for donations of several light house materials such as wood and nails so that the reconstruction of the houses of those affected could already begin.

Allocation of food packs in Maguindanao from various organizations and from the national government is also continuous, he added.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier raised concern about the high fatality count in Maguindanao province due to flooding caused by Paeng. —KG, GMA News