Typhoon Uwan Intensifies, Signal No. 2 Raised Across Luzon

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Philippines | Planet & Commerce 

The Philippines is bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-Wong), which has intensified rapidly over the Philippine Sea, prompting the state weather bureau PAGASA to raise Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 over parts of Luzon and Visayas. Uwan’s intensification follows the departure of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), which exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and is now approaching Vietnam. Meteorologists warned that Uwan may develop into a super typhoon by Saturday evening or early Sunday, with possible landfall over northern or central Luzon late Sunday or early Monday. Authorities have issued flood, wind, and storm surge warnings across the eastern seaboards as the system continues to gain strength.

According to PAGASA weather specialist John Manalo, Typhoon Tino’s center was last located 525 km west-northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan. He said only the trough or tail-end of Tino continues to affect parts of Palawan and Tawi-Tawi.

“Within this day, we expect Tino to make landfall in Vietnam,” Manalo said during a Thursday evening briefing.
“It has already exited the country’s tropical cyclone information domain, and only its tail is bringing scattered rains over Palawan.”
 

Tino’s exit cleared the way for a new system — Tropical Storm Fung-Wong, which has since intensified and entered the country’s monitoring zone as Typhoon Uwan.

Initially stationary outside the PAR, Fung-Wong was upgraded to Typhoon Uwan after rapidly strengthening while moving west-northwestward across the Philippine Sea. As of 4:00 a.m. Saturday, November 8, Uwan’s center was estimated at 985 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph. Its central pressure was measured at 965 hPa, and its circulation extended up to 780 kilometers from the center.

“Uwan is expected to further intensify into a super typhoon by Saturday evening or early Sunday,” PAGASA warned in its latest advisory.
“It will continue to move west-northwestward at 25 kph and may make landfall over northern or central Luzon on Monday.”
 

PAGASA noted that Uwan’s cloud band has expanded significantly, suggesting a large and symmetrical circulation typical of rapidly intensifying tropical systems.

PAGASA has raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 over several eastern provinces, while the rest of Luzon and Visayas remain under Signal No. 1 as Uwan approaches.

Luzon:

• Catanduanes
   

Visayas:

• Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Palapag, Las Navas, Mapanas, Laoang, Catubig, Mondragon, Lapinig, Pambujan, Catarman, San Roque, Silvino Lobos, Gamay)
   
• Northeastern Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan)
   
• Northern Eastern Samar (Maslog, San Policarpo, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche)
   

Residents in these areas may experience minor to moderate damage to structures and vegetation, with winds of up to 88 kph and occasional power disruptions.

Luzon:

Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (including Polillo Islands), Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate (including Ticao and Burias Islands), Marinduque, Romblon, Mindoro (Oriental and Occidental including Lubang Islands), and the Calamian Islands.

Visayas:
Rest of Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northern and central Bohol, northern and central Cebu (including Bantayan and Camotes Islands), northern Negros Occidental, northern and central Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and northern Antique (including Caluya Islands).

Mindanao:

Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte.

PAGASA forecasts that Typhoon Uwan will produce strong to gale-force winds over eastern sections of the Visayas and Mindanao starting Saturday evening, spreading toward Luzon by Sunday night.

“By Saturday evening or early Sunday, Uwan may already reach super typhoon strength,” the bureau said. “Signal No. 5 cannot be ruled out during its passage over Northern Luzon.”
 

Heavy to torrential rainfall is expected over Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Leyte provinces, possibly leading to flooding and rain-induced landslides in upland communities. On Monday, Luzon and Visayas may experience widespread heavy rains, with potential for disruptions in power and communication lines.

PAGASA has also issued a storm surge warning, saying life-threatening surges exceeding 3 meters are likely in low-lying coastal areas within 48 hours, especially along:

• Isabela
   
• Aurora
   
• Quezon (including Polillo Islands)
   
• Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur
   
• Catanduanes
   
• Albay and Sorsogon
   
• Northern and Eastern Samar
   

A gale warning is up over the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern coastlines of the Visayas, where wave heights may reach 10 to 14 meters, particularly along Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon.

“Sea conditions are expected to be dangerous to all vessels,” PAGASA said. “Mariners of small boats and motorbancas are strongly advised to remain in port until conditions improve.”
 

Uwan is projected to maintain its west-northwestward track until Monday, before veering north-northwestward by Tuesday, November 11, as it interacts with a high-pressure ridge over the Pacific. The typhoon’s center is forecast to make landfall over the southern portion of Isabela or northern Aurora late Sunday night or early Monday morning. After traversing Northern Luzon’s mountainous terrain, Uwan is expected to re-emerge over the West Philippine Sea by Monday afternoon. Meteorologists caution that interaction with the Sierra Madre mountain range could weaken the system slightly, but it may reintensify once it moves back over open waters.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has issued alerts across Regions II, V, and VIII, mobilizing rescue units, medical teams, and relief stocks. Local governments have started preemptive evacuations in flood-prone and coastal areas, especially in Catanduanes, Northern Samar, and Aurora. Airlines and shipping companies have been advised to monitor advisories closely, as flight and ferry cancellations are expected once Signal No. 3 or higher is raised.

“Communities in high-risk areas should prepare for prolonged rainfall, possible flash floods, and strong winds,” PAGASA warned. “Residents near coastal zones must heed local evacuation orders once storm surges threaten.”
 

Meanwhile, Typhoon Tino — which earlier brushed the western Philippines — is expected to weaken over mainland Vietnam after landfall late Thursday. Its outer rainbands continue to bring scattered showers to Palawan and parts of Mindanao, but the system no longer poses a significant threat to the country. Meteorologists said that the exit of Tino has allowed Uwan to fully dominate regional atmospheric circulation, drawing energy from warm sea surface temperatures exceeding 30°C, conditions favorable for super typhoon formation.

“Fung-Wong (Uwan) is now the dominant system over the Philippine Sea,” said forecaster Manalo. “All indicators show rapid intensification ahead.”
 

PAGASA expects Typhoon Uwan to reach super typhoon intensity by Saturday night, with sustained winds potentially exceeding 200 kph near its core. The system’s trajectory closely mirrors that of Typhoon Goni (Rolly) in 2020, though its initial size and structure appear broader, suggesting a wider wind field. By Tuesday, the storm is expected to move northward toward Taiwan or southern Japan, gradually weakening as it enters cooler waters. Authorities continue to monitor the storm’s path, urging the public to stay alert for hourly bulletins as conditions evolve.

Bangladesh | Planet & Commerce

In a move described as “historic and irreversible”, Bangladesh’s interim government has approved a draft ordinance prescribing the death penalty for perpetrators of enforced disappearances, marking one of the most dramatic legal overhauls since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The new law comes amid ongoing trials of Hasina and 15 serving military officers accused of crimes against humanity during the violent unrest that engulfed the nation last year. The ordinance — expected to take effect following President Mohammad Shahabuddin’s assent — will not only criminalize secret detentions but also mandate expedited trials for those accused of participating in or facilitating enforced disappearances. Officials have confirmed that the ordinance is likely to apply directly to the ongoing International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) proceedings against Hasina and several members of her former cabinet.

Announcing the decision, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, told reporters that the interim administration’s advisory council, functioning as the de facto cabinet, had approved the draft ordinance on Thursday.

“This is a landmark law. It will ensure that enforced disappearances never occur again in the country,” Alam said at a press briefing in Dhaka.
“It criminalizes the establishment of secret detention centers such as the so-called Aynaghar and mandates that trials under this law must conclude within 120 days of the filing of charges.”
 

Under the new framework, the courts will have to deliver judgments within four months, and anyone found guilty of orchestrating or facilitating enforced disappearances could face capital punishment or life imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offense. The law explicitly targets state actors accused of extrajudicial detentions, secret imprisonment, and custodial deaths — practices that have long tainted Bangladesh’s law enforcement and intelligence apparatus.

The passage of the ordinance comes as Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) continues hearings in one of the most politically charged trials in the nation’s history. The tribunal’s chief prosecutor on October 16 sought the death penalty for Sheikh Hasina, labeling her the “mastermind and principal architect” of the crimes against humanity committed during the student-led mass protests of 2024. Hasina, 78, was ousted from power in August 2024 after months of violent demonstrations led by students and civil society groups demanding accountability for government corruption, police brutality, and enforced disappearances. The UN Human Rights Office reported that up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, as Hasina’s security forces cracked down on dissent. Hasina is now being tried in absentia alongside several of her ministers, while 15 serving army officers — accused of carrying out the disappearances and extrajudicial killings — have appeared before the tribunal following weeks of legal wrangling between the military and the interim administration.

The ICT-BD’s decision to try the 15 officers — all currently serving in the military — in a civil tribunal rather than a court-martial under the Army Act has created deep friction between the army leadership and the Yunus-led interim government. The Bangladesh Army initially resisted the tribunal’s October 8 arrest warrants, citing jurisdictional issues. The officers were detained within the Dhaka Cantonment under military custody and were only produced before the tribunal on October 22, following repeated warnings from the prosecutor’s office that they would otherwise be declared fugitives. In a rare public statement, Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman addressed the issue at a press conference:

“There is no problem of legality, but rather a question of interpretation, as it can be understood in various ways.”
 

The military, while complying with the tribunal’s directives, has since kept the accused officers in a makeshift detention facility within Dhaka Cantonment — not in an ordinary prison — a move that underscores the sensitive civil-military balance surrounding the case.

Legal experts say the Enforced Disappearance Ordinance could significantly reshape Bangladesh’s political and military landscape, both by expanding the scope of accountability and by challenging the culture of impunity that flourished under Hasina’s long rule. The law also targets secret detention facilities, including those linked to the infamous Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) — both accused by international human rights groups of operating extrajudicial prisons such as Aynaghar, where hundreds of activists and journalists were allegedly held without trial. The ordinance mandates:

• Immediate suspension of any public servant or military officer accused of disappearance-related crimes.
   
• Prohibition of unofficial custody or detention centers.
   
• State liability for victims’ compensation.
   
• Protection of witnesses and whistleblowers.
   

Human rights advocates have cautiously welcomed the decision, but some remain skeptical about its implementation, warning that political motivations could overshadow justice.

“The spirit of the law is commendable, but applying it selectively — especially during politically sensitive trials — could undermine its credibility,” said Barrister Tanvir Ahmed, a Dhaka-based constitutional lawyer.
 

Critics of the interim government argue that the law’s timing, coming just as Sheikh Hasina faces capital charges, raises suspicions of political retribution disguised as justice reform. Hasina’s supporters within the Awami League have condemned the ordinance as a “vindictive act by an unelected regime” aimed at permanently eliminating her from politics. Party spokespersons argue that Hasina’s alleged involvement in disappearances and extrajudicial killings has never been independently verified and that the ICT-BD has become a “political instrument of convenience.” The interim government, however, insists the reforms are part of a broader accountability framework designed to prevent future abuses by any political regime.

“This ordinance is not about Sheikh Hasina; it is about ensuring no government, past or future, can use state machinery to disappear its citizens,” a senior official told The Daily Star.
 

The ordinance’s enforcement against serving military officers has put the Bangladesh Army in an unprecedented position — having to comply with civilian court rulings while grappling with uncertainty over the status of its own personnel. Army spokespersons have stated that the government has not yet clarified whether the 15 accused officers remain on active duty or are suspended pending trial. This ambiguity has strained relations between the military and the interim government, both of which rely on each other for stability amid ongoing political volatility. Analysts suggest that Chief Adviser Yunus’s administration is walking a tightrope between justice and institutional confrontation, aware that excessive pressure on the military could trigger backlash in a country where the armed forces have historically wielded decisive political power.

The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) was originally established in 2010 to prosecute collaborators who assisted Pakistan’s army during the 1971 Liberation War. The tribunal’s latest phase — trying contemporary crimes like enforced disappearances — represents a dramatic evolution in its scope. The third amendment to the ICT-BD law expanded its jurisdiction to include crimes committed by state actors after independence. It also stipulates that any individual charged under the Act will be immediately disqualified from holding public or military office. This means the 15 accused army officers may be automatically removed from service once the ordinance is signed into law, even before the trial’s conclusion — a move likely to deepen tensions within the armed forces.

Bangladesh’s new law represents both a reckoning and a risk. It acknowledges decades of state-sanctioned disappearances — particularly under Hasina’s 15-year rule — but also raises the specter of selective prosecution and institutional polarization. International rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have long documented cases of abduction and secret detention involving the RAB, police intelligence units, and paramilitary forces. Between 2009 and 2023, hundreds of citizens — including opposition activists, journalists, and students — went missing, with families receiving no answers. Now, for the first time, Bangladesh’s legal system is attempting to address this dark history through punitive legislation. Whether it brings genuine justice or political revenge will depend on the transparency of the trials and the independence of the judiciary.