Frasco confirms she was in London when 'Tino' struck

Local

TOURISM Sec. Christina Frasco confirmed she was in London on Nov. 4 as head of the Philippine delegation to the World Travel Market but immediately flew home to Liloan after learning of Typhoon Tino’s devastation.

The Liloan native Frasco arrived on Nov. 6 to personally assist with relief operations following the storm, which left dozens dead and thousands displaced across northern Cebu.

This comes amid growing public scrutiny of several local leaders in Cebu’s Fifth District, who were reportedly out of the country when the typhoon struck.

Residents questioned the absence of their mayors while rescue and relief operations were ongoing, expressing frustration over the lack of visible leadership in their communities.

Frasco and her husband, Fifth District Representative Duke Frasco, returned to Liloan to oversee relief efforts personally.

In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, Congressman Frasco said they visited the wakes of several victims of the flash flood in Liloan and prayed for the families of the deceased.

He added that they were coordinating with local officials to ensure the delivery of aid and support to displaced residents.

Records from the Cebu Provincial Government show that Catmon Mayor Avis Ginoo-Monleon, San Francisco Mayor Alfredo Arquillano Jr., Tudela Mayor Greman Solante, Poro Mayor Edgar G. Rama, Pilar Mayor Manuel Santiago, Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño, Liloan Mayor Aljew Fernando Frasco, and Provincial Board Member Andrei “Red” Duterte secured Foreign Travel Authority from Governor Pamela Baricuatro between November 1 and 7.

Borbon Mayor Nico Dotillos, in contrast, canceled his approved foreign trip due to the emergency.

In an interview on Thursday, Baricuatro confirmed that the travel approvals were signed before the storm hit.

She explained that it is standard procedure for officials to obtain travel authority in advance and emphasized that the provincial government had issued early warnings and coordinated with local units for mass evacuations.

However, she added, the implementation of these measures ultimately depended on the local governments on the ground.

The Fifth District covers Danao City and the northeastern towns of Compostela, Liloan, Carmen, Catmon, Sogod, and Borbon, as well as the island municipalities of Poro, San Francisco, Pilar, and Tudela in the Camotes Islands.

Reports from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office indicated severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and numerous fatalities.

Liloan and Compostela were among the hardest-hit, with 36 and 28 deaths recorded, respectively, as of November 6.

Residents in the affected areas have expressed anger over the perceived absence of local leadership.

Earlier, legal counsel for the provincial government, Atty. Restituto “Resti” Arnaiz, clarified that all travel requests from the mayors and Board Member Duterte were properly filed and approved before Typhoon Tino made landfall.

He said Baricuatro signed the documents only after the required paperwork was submitted.

Meanwhile, Borbon Public Information Office said through social media that Mayor Dotillos canceled his trip.

Other officials have not publicly addressed their absences or provided statements regarding their foreign travel during the emergency.(MyTVCebu)