By Butch Fernandez and Elijah Felice E. Rosales
MALACAÑANG confirmed on Thursday that President Duterte is taking some “private time” to sleep and rest, and will most likely miss official functions for the rest of the week.
In a news briefing, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto C. Abella dismissed rumors that Duterte is sick.
Duterte has not attended any public function since Monday and even skipped his first Independence Day celebration in office at the Luneta Park in Manila.
“The President is well. The President just needs [to rest]…you have to consider that he has been on the road for at least 23 days fulfilling his martial-law supervision,” Abella said.
Asked when Duterte will resume his regular schedule, Abella said he cannot give a definite date yet. In a news report, Duterte was said to have canceled all his scheduled engagements until Sunday to catch up on his sleep, as advised by his medical advisers.
On top of this, Abella made clear Duterte is in perfect condition, shrugging off reports that he might have been suffering from sickness the past days.
According to Abella, the Chief Executive is resting in Malacañang, but there’s a chance he will travel to Davao City, given his usual routine of going to his residence in Davao City on weekends.
Duterte’s last public appearance was last Sunday night when he went to the wake of the marines who were killed in Marawi City.
Questions about his health began to mount when on the next days, he failed to attend his scheduled engagements.
On Wednesday he begged off from attending an event of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
During the campaign period, Duterte admitted he has four ailments, but they are “not fatal”. Among the ailments of Duterte are migraine and a rare disorder called Buerger’s Disease, which affects the flow of his blood.
Duterte, at 72, frequents military camps and attends the wakes fallen government troops wherever these are held. He also went to a number of foreign trips since becoming the Chief Executive, the last of which was to Russia, which he cut short because of the crisis in Marawi City.
Senators not worried
SENATORS played down the continued absence of Duterte from public functions, amid earlier reports citing Palace officials’ admission he has “not [been] feeling well” and needed to rest during the past few days.
Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III, however, asserted Malacañang need to disclose if the President is ailing. “If he [Duterte] is sick, the Executive Secretary has the duty to divulge that the President is sick.”
“If he is resting, well, let him rest. There is no need to announce ‘the President is resting’ What for?” Pimentel added.
“Since there was no announcement that he is sick, why do we insist he is sick? He is resting from the public eye, I see no issue at all,” says Pimentel.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III agreed, saying: “I am sure the Palace will inform us if there is a cause for alarm.”
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, likewise, played down Duterte’s disappearance as “no big deal”, saying Presidents are entitled to occasional day offs.
Lacson pointed out that Duterte “happens to be the President who has to deal with all sorts of problems, like the separatist movement in the south, New Peoples Army insurgency, illegal drugs and crimes, with corruption in government to boot”, adding that the 72-year-old Chief Executive can “not be expected to always stay in shape”.
“President Duterte is no exception,” Lacson said, noting that “those who came before him, likewise, took some days off occasionally because of health issues. For me, its no big deal.”
In an ambush interview at the Senate, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., assured that Duterte is not sick.
“He [Duterte] is alright; he’s fine,” Evasco told Senate reporters, even as he explained “each one of us needs to relax, including the President”.
Asked if the President plans to take the whole week off, the Palace official replied: “No, no, no. I don’t have any idea. I am in my office and he is in his office.”