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NDRRMC to stop counting 'missing' people in Storm Sendong's wake


The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is stopping its count of the number of people missing in the wake of Tropical Storm Sendong (Washi). NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos on Friday said he gave the order to the agency's operations center, after the number of missing persons in its 6 a.m. Friday update jumped to 1,079 from 51 a day earlier. "Pinahinto ko na, pina-indicate ko na lang na 'lost count.' Misleading yan [term missing] (at) para di maalarma ang publiko," Ramos said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the 1,079 missing in the NDRRMC's 6 a.m. Friday update could be misleading as it may have included retrieved bodies that had not been identified. Ramos said he is presently in Mindanao, but he said he had relayed his instructions to the NDRRMC operations center in Metro Manila. "The figure could include bodies that were recovered but have not been identified. If so... we have to correct that," he added. Shortly after 11 a.m. Friday, the link to the 6 a.m. Friday update disappeared but reappeared 30 minutes later. Clicking on the link would open the 6 a.m. update, which still listed the number of missing people at 1,079. The NDRRMC had listed the number of fatalities from Sendong at 1,010 and more than P1 billion in damage to property. — LBG, GMA News

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