Talisay Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan is not backing down on his remarks against state volcanologists over the danger brought by an imminent Taal volcano eruption.
“Kung mangyaring pumutok nang malakas ‘yan at nandito ako, namatay sila, namatay ako, at wala na silang makakasuhan [dahil] patay na kaming lahat,” Natanauan said in an interview on Wednesday.
The Interior Department has advised the vice mayor not to encourage town residents to return home despite the lockdown policy imposed by local officials.
Natanauan said that he wants the Batangas II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Batelec II) to restore their power supply so that they can all move on with their lives.
“Ini-encourage ko kung ilo-lock down man ng DILG at utos siguro ng Presidente, kung maaari maglinis na sila, at ako ay nananawagan din sa Batelec na lagyan na kami ng kuryente, dahil hindi kami makaka-move on sa buhay kung walang kuryente,” he added.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that it respects Natanauan’s opinon but their findings are based on scientific data.
The vice mayor, however, slammed the agency by saying that Phivolcs is only making their situation worse.
“Para sa aking opinyon, hindi ho magandang pakinggan, pero mas tinatakot niyo po ang tao kaysa kumbinsihin nating pabalikin at maka-move on,” he said.
Alert level 4 remains in Taal volcano which means that an imminent hazardous eruption is imminent and may happen in the coming hours or days.
“Even if we have a diminishing trend on earthquakes, the fact is, earthquake signifies that magma has been intruded. So, the eruptible magma na pwedeng iputok ng bulkan was already in place,” Phivolcs said in a media briefing.
Natanauan however contradicted this and relied to his father’s account of the 1965 eruption.
“Saang lugar? Saang portion? Dapat ipinapaliwanag nila kung saang portion kasi kung sinasabi nilang umaangat ang mag kung ano ‘yung kanilang equipment na ginamit para medetect nila doon,” Natanauan added.
See also: ‘Iaalay kita sa bulkang Taal’: Calabarzon police chief warns Talisay Vice Mayor
