Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Sunday warned that forced evacuations would be implemented in areas where residents can still be safely moved out, as Super Typhoon Uwan continued to lash the country with destructive winds and torrential rains.

Speaking from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell in Quezon City, Teodoro appealed to the public to heed preemptive evacuation orders, stressing that non-compliance endangers not only civilians but also rescuers deployed to save them.

“Marami po kaming natanggap na reports na hinihikayat na ang aitng mga kabababyan na magpre-emptive evacuation at maradi po ang ayaw sumunod (We have received many reports that some of our countrymen are asking for preemptive evacuation, while many still refuse to leave),” Teodoro said.

“Kaya po magkakaroon ng forced evacuatin sa mga lugar na kakayanin pa. Kaya po ang pakiusap natin sa ating mga kababayan ay magpre-emptively evacuate na tayo pang sa ganu’n, hindi hihingi ng rescue sa huli (That is why there will be forced evacuations in areas where it is still possible. We are asking our countrymen to to pre-emptively evacuate they won’t have to call for rescue later),” he further noted.

Teodoro emphasized that the government’s primary goal is to protect lives, not to penalize residents.

“Dahil ‘pag huli po humingi tayo ng rescue, nalalagay sa panganib ang buhay ng ating mga kapulisan, sundalo, bumbero at ng ating coast guard (Because if we ask for rescue at the last minute, it puts the lives of our policemen, soldiers, firefighters, and Coast Guard personnel at risk),” he lamented.  

He also reminded the public that disobedience to authorities during a forced evacuation is a violation of the law.

“Ayoko ko naman po magbanta ngunit kapag may order ng forced evacuation ang ating kapulisan at hindi po ito sinunod, ito po ay labag sa batas isobedience to a person in authority. Ayaw po natin umaabot sa ganoon dahil buhay po ang ipinagtatanggol natin dito (I do not want to make warnings, but if our police receive an order to implement a forced evacuation and it is not followed, that is a violation of the law and disobedience to a person in authority. We do not want to reach to that point because what we are defending here is life),” he lamented. 

The Defense Secretary, who also chairs the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said all government agencies are working 24/7 to coordinate disaster response and provide real-time updates through OCD’s online platforms.

“Bagamat marami tayong reports na natatanggap na ayaw laminas ang mga tao na hinihikayat lumikas—sumunod na po tayo dahil ito’y makaka-save ng buhay ninyo at ng inzong mga pamilya. At hindi natin ilalagay sa alanganin ang buhay ng ating mga mananagip ng buhay. Eto po ay pakiusap sa inyong lahat (Because we have received many reports that some people are refusing to evacuate despite being urged to do so, please follow the evacuation orders because this will save your lives and those of your families. We should not put the lives of our rescuers at risk. This is a sincere appeal to everyone),” Teodoro appealed to the typhoon affected residents.

Super Typhoon Uwan continued to pummel Catanduanes, Albay, and other parts of the Bicol Region, bringing storm surges, lahar flow, and widespread flooding.

“All government agencies are here now, working together. We are asking everyone to cooperate so we can deliver assistance effectively and prevent unnecessary loss of life,” Teodoro said.

Authorities have already preemptively evacuated more than 900,000 individuals nationwide, most of them from high-risk coastal and low-lying communities in the Typhoon Tino’s projected path.