The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will evaluate the explanations of local chief executives who traveled abroad despite a suspension on foreign trips while Super Typhoon Uwan was battering the country. Palace press officer and DILG Undersecretary Claire Castro said the department would first assess whether the reasons given by these officials were acceptable. "We will first look into this, and this is under the leadership of Secretary Jonvic Remulla. Let's see how they will explain it and, despite that memorandum, they left the country," Castro said. Earlier, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla directed all elective and appointive local officials to cancel or postpone foreign travel from November 9 to 15, 2025, as the country braced for the effects of Super Typhoon Uwan. Remulla reminded local leaders that under the Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act No. 10121, they serve as chairpersons of their respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and must therefore be physically present during all stages of disaster response. The DILG also urged local government units to assist affected communities, reactivate Local Price Coordinating Councils to prevent overpricing, and coordinate with regional and provincial disaster councils for unified and timely action. According to Castro, it is still premature to conclude whether those who went abroad committed any violation. "First, this needs to be assessed—what was their real purpose in going to another country and if it really affected the rapid action for our countrymen who experienced the typhoon's battering," she said. "We cannot immediately say that they are at fault. This needs to be studied," she added.
