Palace says public service seen not in clothes after officials draw flak for branded garb

Government officials should be gauged by their performance and service, not by the clothes they wear, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said this when asked about local executives who were seen wearing expensive designer clothes while conducting relief efforts amid the flood and rain caused by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.

Castro didn't name names, but the issue came to the fore after Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and her son Vice Governor Dennis Pineda were seen wearing branded rainwear while leading disaster response operations in the province, and drew criticism online.

The governor has since been quoted in media reports as having said sorry if they made a mistake with the clothes they wore amid the rain and flood.

“Ang pagseserbisyo po ay hindi po nakikita sa damit, nakikita po ito sa gawa. Nakikita po ito kung visible ba iyong mga leaders at nandidiyan sila para tumulong,” Castro told reporters.

(Public service is not observed in the clothes one wears, but by their actions. It is seen in whether leaders are visible and present to help.)

“Hindi po nakikita ang pagtulong, ang serbisyong totoo sa damit ng isang lider. Mayroon pong mga iba, napakasimple ng dating, t-shirt, pants, iyong iba nagpapaulan pa, pero wala namang natutulong. So mas maganda po na tingnan ang lider sa trabaho, sa gawa, hindi po sa damit,” she added.

(Help and genuine public service are not measured by the clothes a leader wears. There are some who may look very simple, wearing just a T-shirt and pants, and even braving the rain, but they are not helping. So, it is better to judge a leader by their work and actions, not by their clothes.)

Castro reminded government officials to be “sensitive,” especially during disasters, despite their usual lifestyle.

“Siguro kailangan din maging sensitive kasi lalong-lalo na, kung iyong mga kababayan natin ay nakakaramdam ng hirap, trauma at kalungkutan,” she said.

(Perhaps we also need to be sensitive, especially when our fellow Filipinos are experiencing hardship, trauma, and sadness.)

On Monday, around 17,300 residents in Pampanga moved to 270 evacuation centers as severe, prolonged flooding continues to affect the province.

A man also died after falling into an open manhole that was submerged in floodwaters in Barangay Cutcut, Angeles City, Pampanga.

The victim’s body was found an hour later, far from the drainage where he fell.

The governor described the flooding as unprecedented for some areas in Pampanga, noting that even places that normally do not experience flooding have now been affected.

Due to the flooding and rising water levels in the Pampanga River, several portions of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) have been experiencing heavy traffic since Sunday. —NB, GMA News