Metro Manila mayors who won in the midterm elections started their first day of work Monday by declaring class and work suspensions due to bad weather.
Except for Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, 13 Metro mayors declared suspension of classes late — while most students were already in school.
Mayors said they only took their cue from Pagasa weather bureau after 8am when its forecast show relatively heavy rainfall that might cause flooding in low-lying areas.
However, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was irked upon learning that the University of the East insisted their college students in Manila (as well as in Caloocan) to remain in campus after he announced class suspension in all levels at all public and private schools starting 12 noon yesterday.
“If you are not going to obey the local government, and this goes out to all schools, better get out of Manila. Magsara na po kayo,” Domagoso said in his Facebook live post.
“Students are not frogmen,” he quipped.
“Don’t tell us that you are under CHEd [Commission on Higher Education]… but mayors are responsible for the welfare of their constituents,” he added.
Around 1pm, UE tweeted that classes in college level are likewise suspended.
However, UE was silent on Domagoso’s remark.
Aside from mayors in Metro Manila, local government officials in Bataan, Batangas, Pampanga and Bulacan likewise suspended classes in all levels around 12nn.
