Ex-Olongapo Mayor Apologizes, Explains Remarks on City's Flooding

OLONGAPO CITY — Former Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Sr. has apologized for the tone of his response to a resident who asked about the city’s recurring flooding, saying a video of the exchange was taken out of context. The statement came after a video circulated on social media showing a resident asking Paulino whether flooding in low-lying areas, particularly Barangay Sta. Rita, would ever end. Paulino was heard responding: “As long as we’re alive. How can you raise this? Flooding is part of nature. Look at Japan—despite being highly developed, they still experience floods that can reach neck-deep?” At one point, he added: “Olongapo is below sea level, and water from the mountains flows down into the city. Given the situation there, you should leave Olongapo.” The video was posted on a local Facebook page and subsequently went viral. In his statement issued Wednesday (Sept. 2), Paulino said his response should not be interpreted as a promise that flooding in Olongapo would never be addressed. He explained that the city’s low-lying, below-sea-level areas make it vulnerable to flooding, adding that the forces of nature cannot be completely controlled. Paulino, who served as Olongapo mayor for two consecutive terms from 2013 to 2019, also cited measures undertaken during his administration to mitigate flooding and hasten the drainage of floodwaters. He said that they started dredging rivers and constructing drainage systems to mitigate the impact of flooding when he was the city’s mayor. Paulino, who currently serves as member of the board of directors of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, apologized for the tone and delivery of his response to the resident. “To those who know me, you already know that’s just how I answer. It just seems like this secretly recorded video was made with bad intentions,” he claimed. Paulino also vowed that he and local officials would continue assisting residents affected by flooding despite criticism over the city’s flood-control measures. “We will never stop extending our assistance,” Paulino said in Filipino. The former mayor’s remarks came amid weeks of severe flooding in Olongapo, with the city government declaring a state of calamity on Sept. 1. The prolonged heavy rains caused widespread flooding, landslides, damage to property and infrastructure, and the displacement of residents. The city, whose mayor is Paulino’s son and namesake, recorded 2,900.5 millimeters of cumulative rainfall in August—about 3.4 times its normal rainfall for the month. From Aug. 28 to 29 alone, 569.5 mm of rain was recorded, equivalent to about 68 percent of the city’s normal rainfall for the entire month. —John Patrick Mateo / Contributor