14 dead, 14 missing in Ulysses' rage

The executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Ricardo Jalad confirms (confirmed) 14 deaths and 14 missing people due to Typhoon Ulysses as they validate more reports from other agencies in a televised press briefing with the Cabinet today, November 13, 2020.

Jalad said that they have monitored 14 deaths but none of them came from National Capital Region (NCR) because it is still being validated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

However, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Gilbert Gapay said this morning that the government search operations team from the AFP, Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) recovered at least 39 dead bodies in the regions affected by the typhoon.

PNP Chief, General Debold Sinas reported that they have recorded 26 deaths: Metro Manila (2), Cordillera Administrative Region (2), Central Luzon (3), Bicol Region (3), Cagayan Valley (7), and Calabarzon (9). However, as of 3 pm today, PNP reports (reported) fatality (fatalities) rising to 42 while 43 were injured, and 20 missing people.

In the same press briefing, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal explained that reports of retrieved bodies still need to be verified as to whether they were indeed caused by the typhoon Ulysses or could have been due to three other recent typhoons (Rolly, Siony, and Tonyo).

“Ang casualty po natin ngayon ay 14 as reported by Sec. Año. Kaya lang po nagkakaiba iba ang figures dahil subject po ito sa local government confirmation, bagamat tatlo pong numero ang sinabi ngayong araw, ang controlling po ay LGU verified.” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Ulysses is the 21st cyclone storm to hit the country this year.

The typhoon struck areas in Luzon which had barely recovered from the wrath of the strongest storm in the world this year, super typhoon Rolly that killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousand homes earlier this month.

Photo from The Straits Times