10 Cagayan Valley execs out of town as ‘Uwan’ pummels Luzon
CITY OF ILAGAN, ISABELA—Two governors and eight town mayors in Cagayan Valley were out of their areas as Supertyphoon “Uwan” (international name: Fung-Wong) unleashed heavy rains and winds across the region on Monday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Region 2 (DILG-2) said.
DILG-2 spokesperson Liberty Barcena, in an online news briefing before noon on Sunday, said two governors—Jun Aguto of Batanes and Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela—have been out of the country for official travel leave abroad days before the typhoon hammered the region.
Vice Gov. Jonathan Nanud is the acting governor in Batanes, while Vice Gov. Francis Faustino Dy takes over the helm in Isabela province.
Eight mayors from the region would also be out of their areas on Monday due to official travel or medical leave. They were from Burgos, Mallig, Quezon, San Manuel, Santa Maria and San Mariano, all in Isabela, who were on leave—three outside and three within the country; Aritao in Nueva Vizcaya, who is on medical leave; and Itbayat in Batanes, who is on travel abroad, Barcena added.
She clarified that these officials applied for either a medical or travel leave weeks prior to the onset of Uwan.
The DILG has required governors and mayors to be in their respective jurisdictions in cases of disasters and other emergency cases, unless officially allowed to travel or on leave.
