President Benigno S. Aquino III (Photo by: Ryan Lim/Malacañang Photo Bureau).
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday backed out from attending an event at the World Trade Center to monitor instead the situation as typhoon “Glenda” (international name: Rammasun) pummels Luzon.
“[The President’s] schedule for today has been cancelled. The President will monitor typhoon Glenda instead,” a media advisory sent to Palace reporters said.
Aquino was supposed to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Defense, Security and Crisis Management Exhibition and Conference (ADAS 2014) at the World Trade Center this morning.
He had at least two meetings scheduled in the afternoon, the first with Executive Secretary Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and the second with his speechwriters.
Aquino and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin were supposed to visit the ADAS 2014 exhibit and see for themselves the various equipment for defense, counter terrorism, internal security crisis and defense management offered by company exhibitors.
In its 11 a.m. Wednesday update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed Metro Manila under storm warning signal number 3. The eye of the typhoon was earlier spotted hovering over Manila Bay.
Earlier, orange rainfall alert was raised in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.