“Siyam-siyam” typhoons  should trigger creation of  our own FEMA

Since the middle week of September or just about two months, our country have been plagued by almost eight  tropical disturbances and its  damaging monsoon rains.  I could remember Tropical depression IGME, , followed by Tropical Storm Helen in a week with floods in different areas. Around October 1, came the very strong Super typhoon Julian  that hit Batanes, Northern Luzon and later Taiwan.  Five people were killed, three others missing and eight injured. 

Next came Severe Tropical storm Kristine that caused record breaking heavy rainfall in Naga, Camarines sur and the entire Bicol. It also devastated the whole of Luzon, particularly Batangas and also Visayas and Mindanao while still headed for its landfall in Isabela. In sum, Kristine killed 158 people mostly from Calabarzon and Bicol.

Another Super typhoon Leon came  end of October passed Batanes and  hit Taiwan. Extensive damage were reported in Ilocos Norte , Cagayan and the towns of Itbayat, Ivana and Sabtang in Batanes. Then came   typhoon Marce  which made  two landfalls in Northern Luzon. Again, Cagayan and Ilocos Norte were worse hit,  and 60 cities lost power.

Yesterday, Typhoon Nika  made landfall in Aurora and crossed again Northern Luzon  bringing strong winds and torrential rains in that area. She expected to exit PAR today.  

But already, another tropical depression , the fourteenth this year,  is coming, from the Pacific about 1,480 kms east of Eastern Visayas and Pagasa named her, Ofel.  She will make landfall in Northern or Central Luzon  by Thursday evening or Friday morning .  Forecasters say Ofel will hit land near its peak intensity bringing heavy rainfall, severe wind and storm surges.

As I’ve mentioned Ofel will be the ninth consecutive storm we’ve experienced in less than two months or 53 days to be exact. Our old folks would call this “siyam-siyam” , but that one pertains to  habagat (southwest monsoon season) where continuous rains happen in  nine days and nine nights of rain prayed for by farmers  for softer fields to plow. Supposedly this is the start of their rainy season.

But what happened in this month and a half is  pure devastation after devastation.  A testament to our country having the  highest disaster risk score  in the world, 46.82  topping 193 other nations. This is the World risk Report 2022  by German institutions  which showed global hot spots of disaster risk from natural hazards.  

Truth of the matter is that we have become storm-resilient in the face of numerous natural hazards.  And this “siyam-siyam” typhoon successions will spur our President, the entire   government and legislators to push for a permanent government agency that will focus on disaster prepaparedness and management. It is now time to replace our interagency committee named NDRRMC and create an agency that is similar or even better than the American  Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA). 

Troll war rages in Pasig

Since day one, our favorite mayor in Pasig, Vico Sotto has been very vocal  against troll operations in his city. Last month, he exposed  what he called “proof of trolls for hire” on  Facebook , following series of “negative reactions” over his earlier post that  were not from “real people”. They had similar profiles that are linked to services offering “paid trolls” and social media engagement”.  Yesterday, Sotto slammed the suspension of several legitimate Facebook pages of barangays , Bgys. Santolan and Manggahan that were mass reported for “impersonation”. “ It is puzzling and doesn’t make sense but maybe they tricked Facebook’s algorithm or system “, Vico says.

However, his political opponents claim otherwise and that there is also a “troll operation” happening inside city hall targeting the mayor’s  political opponents since 2019.   In published news reports, former Pasig City Councilor and lawyer Christian Sia has audaciously dared Mayor Vico Sotto to explain the internet troll activities of one Maurice Mikkelssen Philippe Camposano , an Executive assistant to the  office of the Pasig City.  According to Sia,  Camposano is not even a resident of Pasig and his skills as “content moderator”  online is published an amount more than a million pesos per month. “Who is funding his troll operations”?, Sia asked.

The implications of utilizing trolls as political weapons by both the opposition and administration sides are profound.  While technology empower citizens and enhance transparency, it can also serve as a double-edged sword when wielded irresponsibly. 

We must  understand that engaging with the community authentically is essential for fostering goodwill and trust—tools far more effective than cyber warfare against one’s critics. But what we are seeing in Pasig is an  environment where fear and intimidation replaced open dialogue and constructive criticism.

And rightly so, heated political discussions ignited crucial discussions about accountability within local government .  For one, it is unbelievable that Sotto will resort to such troll tactics that he personally hated . But if the allegations are true, it sends a clear message: dissent in his governance  is not tolerated , and any questioning of authority will be met with hostility, creating a chilling effect on civic engagement.  Therefore, the sheer gall of this bad situation cannot be overlooked.

If not properly explained, Sotto’s previous declarations against troll farms will reek of hypocrisy when his own office is accused of cultivating  them. His failure to address these accusations would indicate a troubling pattern of evasion rather than a commitment to transparency and good governance. 

The question looms large: how can the people trust a leader who may be complicit in deceptive practices? If Sotto wishes to govern effectively, he must confront the uncomfortable truths head-on, rather than sweep them under the rug.

The time has come for Mayor Vico Sotto to step up and take definitive action. He must address the allegations surrounding Camposano unequivocally and transparently.