MANILA -- President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on Wednesday expressed sympathy to the victims of tsunami and earthquake in Indonesia, noting that the Philippines is willing to give any assistance if needed.
“At this time of grief for the Indonesian people, the Filipino people joins me in expressing sorrow and concern for our brothers and sisters devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami,” read the President’s statement posted on the Official Gazette.
“We are prepared to assist in any way we can. We are also confident that Indonesia will meet this challenge with the resolve, compassion, and unity that has marked their response to the national calamities in the past,” he added.
“Our thoughts are with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as he returns to be with and lead his people in the work of rescue, recovery, and rebuilding,” he further said.
Yudhoyono was one of the leaders present at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, which Aquino also attended.
More than a hundred people died in Indonesia following a 7.7-magnitude quake that triggered a tsunami near the Mentawai Islands off Sumatra island Tuesday. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)