Teodoro orders forced evacuations for Severe Tropical Storm Leon

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who chairs the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), has ordered immediate forced evacuations for residents in areas forecast to be affected by Severe Tropical Storm Leon.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memorandum mandating local government units to strictly enforce forced evacuation protocols in high-risk areas, particularly in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, Bicol Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Teodoro emphasized the importance of being proactive in disaster management, stressing that taking action now is better than regretting later, especially given the recent impact of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine on parts of Luzon.

Local chief executives are expected to implement Teodoro's directive under Republic Act 10121 and the Local Government Code, with the Office of Civil Defense administrator Ariel Nepomuceno urging the public to heed evacuation protocols to ensure safety.

As of 5 p.m., several areas in northern Luzon were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1, and PAGASA warned that Leon may intensify into a typhoon within 24 hours and potentially become a super typhoon before its close approach to Batanes.