Captain without a ship - Marcos clan mayor at eye of Philippine storm

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By Andrew R.C. Marshall and Stuart Grudgings TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Minutes before a tsunami-like storm surge slammed into the Philippine coastal city of Tacloban, a tall man in a motorcycle helmet strode along the shore through ferocious typhoon winds. Mayor Alfred Romualdez, 51, was wearing the headgear to protect against what he called a wind so strong "it would take your eyes out." He didn't see the wall of water coming and was lucky to survive the catastrophe that killed at least 819 people there and 3,633 across the central Philippines. The disaster not only flattened his city, it also dredged up a history of enmity between his political clan, led by shoe-loving former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and the family of President Benigno Aquino -- the country's two most influential political families. President Aquino, under mounting criticism over his handling of the disaster, has sought to deflect some blame toward Romualdez's administration, whose staff and security forces have been decimated by the storm.




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