'Frank' aftermath no reason for Arroyo to cut US trip - Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Although she is "concerned" over the damage caused by typhoon "Frank," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo does not see the need to cut short her 10-day visit to the United States, her spokesman said Sunday. Press Secretary and presidential spokesman Jesus Dureza said Mrs Arroyo can still keep a "hands-on" stance by holding video teleconferences with Manila, including one before dawn Monday. "No, there's no talk about cutting short her trip. That's why she would like to continuously be hands-on here, kaya (so) she's getting the NDCC action as if she's personally there in the area," he said. Besides, he said Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr., the officer-in-charge of the government, said everything was taken care of and did not see any reason to "cut short" her trip. "There's no talk about cutting the trip short. The President is confident the machinery of [the] government will respond [to the situation] adequately and that she is on top of the situation even if she is physically here (in the US)," he said. Excerpts of Dureza's statements were posted on the Office of the Press Secretary Web site (www.news.ops.gov.ph). He said Mrs Arroyo called for a meeting with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to keep herself updated on government responses to "Frank." The Palace gave conflicting statements on what time the NDCC meeting will be held. One statement said it would be at 3 a.m., while another said it would be at 4 a.m. "She would like to do this before she takes off for Washington DC tomorrow," Dureza said of the NDCC meeting. During the teleconference Sunday morning, Dureza said Mrs Arroyo was "so concerned" about reports of a Sulpicio Lines passenger vessel that capsized off Romblon. He said Mrs Arroyo "pointedly" asked the Coast Guard representative whether there "were violations of notices issued to vessels and for them to look closely on how they could undertake more rescue operations now." "The report given to her was that one of the survivors was fished out quite far from the site where the (Sulpicio) vessel was supposed to have capsized. So they have now indicated a new area where they would start trying to make recovery operations with the Coast Guard." Dureza said. The Department of Agriculture (DA) also reported that an initial 250,000 hectares were damaged by the typhoon. He said Mrs Arroyo directed the DA to undertake continuous and increased distribution of assistance to the farmers for them to recover as soon as possible. With the still bad condition of the power situation in the Visayas particularly in Panay with only 2% having been reenergized, Dureza said Mrs Arroyo instructed Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes to attend to this immediately. Dureza said Mrs Arroyo's instruction "is to mount an operation center, logistic center there in Cebu, nearer to the area using the facilities that are available there in Cebu for the moment until we can mount our flights from Villamor Airbase." A Malacañang statement said Mrs Arroyo and first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and the Philippine delegation arrived at the San Francisco International Airport at 7:20 p.m. (San Francisco time). "The President is so concerned about the situation there. Immediately upon arriving here in San Francisco, she convened the NDCC to be able to be personally informed of the situation there," Dureza said. - GMANews.TV