The mettle of Noynoy in addressing calamities is being given a thorough beating with the week-long continuous rains that hit Metro Manila and practically the entire Central Luzon, making the whole swath of the most populous regions in the country a zone of disaster.
The response to the situation appeared to have been devolved to the local governments, but the Palace seems to be unsure on what role it takes during a crisis situation.
When floods started to rise in the metropolis on Tuesday, Metro Manila residents were waiting for government’s announcement on work suspension. Previously it was the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) which used to issue the announcement. But  it came straight from the Palace last Tuesday, and as was the practice of its tenant, it came very late when the floodwaters already filled many roads in the capital.
Noynoy predictably remained invisible the entire week that the heavens seemed to have dumped rains since Aug. 1, the death anniversary of his mother,  and appeared only late Tuesday on top of an Army truck with his TV star sister, along with four of his senatorial bets, in Mandaluyong prior to convening the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
The result of the NDCC was uncanny in that it was a complete replica of the past other NDCC typhoon meetings where Noynoy was presiding and where the weather bureau Pagasa’s representative was the goat.
In the NDCC meeting, Noynoy again berated Pagasa for its confusing rainfall codes, while again commending local government leaders who are mostly his allies for the supposed quick response during the calamity situation.
Berating the weather bureau official does not have any political cost while at the same time projects a semblance of being on top of the situation for Noynoy. But making it a routine during NDCC meetings does make people see through the obvious being played on television before them.
During Typhoon “Basyang” in 2010 it was the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) head who was the appointee of Gloria that got the ax while commendations from Noynoy were all over for the Cabinet disaster officials and local government chiefs who supposedly responded quickly to provide relief to flood-stricken Filipinos.
More typhoons after that came and still it was the weather bureau official who was Noynoy’s whipping boy while he was profuse with appreciation for the mayors, governors and the congressmen regardless of the mayhem and the toll on lives on a particularly hit location where the residents would swear that there was no such response that happened as Noynoy has been heaping praise on his political allies.
In the ongoing calamity in Metro Manila, the response from the Palace is mostly very late in coming and Noynoy appears to be merely content in making appearances just for political brownie points or photo opportunities, preferrably with Kris Aquino around.
He even uses the photo-op in a truck through flooded areas as a campaign gimmick, as he had his weak LP senatoriables in the truck with him and his sister.
The flagellation that Pagasa has been receiving from Noynoy each time there is a typhoon in the end is reflecting on his leadership ability or the lack of it as it seems that even the weather bureau had failed to make any progress durng the two and a half years that Noynoy has been in power.
If Pagasa is hopelessly inefficient, it goes without saying that Noynoy is similarly inept.
That’s leadership by example in all its glory.