The death toll from the combined effects of tropical storms “Luis” and “Maymay” and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat rose to 26 on Tuesday, with the Cordillera Administrative Region accounting for the biggest number of casualties, mostly from landslides in Baguio City and Benguet.

Authorities reported that 25 civilians and one police officer had died in weather-related incidents. The Cordillera recorded 16 deaths, while Calabarzon reported seven. Two deaths were recorded in Region 1, while the police officer died of drowning in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) had earlier reported lower casualty figures, with their breakdowns differing.

The NDRRMC said 12 people died in the Baguio landslide after search and retrieval teams recovered the bodies of the last two missing residents early Tuesday.

Rizal recorded four deaths, while Batangas reported three fatalities linked to landslides, drowning, electrocution, and a fallen tree.

The NDRRMC also reported 15 injuries and four missing persons, with about 2.2 million people affected by the weather disturbances.

The OCD, meanwhile, reported nine deaths in Baguio, two in La Trinidad, and one in Atok, all due to landslides. It also recorded 15 injured.

The weather disturbances affected 2,270,862 people, or 646,676 families, across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila and Mimaropa.

A total of 919 evacuation centers were opened, sheltering 94,997 people or 26,174 families.

The OCD reported damage to 684 houses, including 639 partially damaged and 45 destroyed. Infrastructure damage was estimated at P1.46 billion, while agricultural losses reached P135.3 million.

PNP warns vs fake storm images

Amid the widespread flooding and damage, Philippine National Police chief P/Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. urged the public to avoid sharing unverified photos and videos depicting the effects of the habagat.

Nartatez said some images circulating online might have been made up, altered, or taken from previous disasters and presented as recent events.

“Let us be discerning and cautious. Not everything we see online is true,” Nartatez said.

He said misinformation could cause unnecessary fear and confusion in communities dealing with heavy rains and flooding.

“A number of our fellow Filipinos need assistance and accurate information during this calamity. This should be a time for compassion and bayanihan, not anger driven by motives or selfish interests,” Nartatez said.

He urged the public to verify posts claiming to show the latest conditions in areas affected by the habagat and to rely on information from government agencies and other verified authorities.

“Information sharing is important, but it must be verified and come from the authorities,” Nartatez said.