Duterte's aerial inspection of flooded areas cancelled, Palace says

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte’s scheduled aerial inspection of flood-hit areas on Monday will no longer push through.

The announcement came an hour after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte is set to conduct an aerial inspection of flood-hit areas in Metro Manila and Rizal.

At the Palace press briefing on Monday, Roque said Duterte will go the areas most affected by the flooding. He said there was no definite schedule but it was supposedly scheduled for Monday.

Over the weekend, the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo trended on social media with online users asking for the whereabouts of the president amid widespread flooding and incessant rains in various areas in Luzon and Metro Manila.

The flood displaced thousands of families who are now staying in evacuation centers prepared by their respective local governments.

On Sunday evening, Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go visited Marikina City, one of the most affected by the flood, and claimed the president wanted to conduct aerial inspection over the weekend but could not do so because of the bad weather.

Go said Duterte has been monitoring the flood situation from Davao City.

Meanwhile, Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, and Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region director, on Monday conducted an aerial inspection of calamity areas over Marilao and Meycauayan, Bulacan as well as over Marikina City.

PNP Chief Police Director General Oscar Albayalde conducts aerial inspection of calamity areas over Marilao and Meycauayan, Bulacan pic.twitter.com/Yfr5aYbvKF

— PNP-PIO (@pnppio) August 13, 2018

The top cops also visited the evacuees in Marikina City and talked to local officials for other services PNP can provide in the evacuation centers.

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