Angeles City hall staff rally behind mayor over weather suspension timing row

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga — Staff members of the Angeles City government have stepped forward to support Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II amid online backlash over his handling of a class suspension order issued during inclement weather conditions on Tuesday. The mayor's office announced the suspension of classes at approximately 6:30 a.m., a timing that sparked complaints from parents and guardians who said their children had already begun traveling to school. The delayed announcement left families scrambling to retrieve students who were already on the road, according to concerns raised on social media. The city hall employees' union has since mounted a defense of the mayor, contending that the decision was made in response to worsening weather conditions and citing the challenges involved in coordinating such announcements across multiple schools and communities. The controversy reflects ongoing discussions in the Philippines about the appropriate timing and coordination of class suspension announcements during typhoons and other severe weather events.