(Preview image: File photo)
President Rodrigo Duterte and aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go flew to Davao City to spend the weekend with their families after more than two months in Manila because of quarantine restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the president was able to go home after Davao City relaxed restrictions under a less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ).
“After 67 days po, not just two months. Ito po iyong pinakamatagal na panahon na ginugol niya sa Metro Manila mula po noong siya ay nag-aral bilang isang estudyante ‘no. At pinayagan naman po siyang umuwi ni Mayor Sara matapos pong magkaroon ng GCQ sa Davao City,” Roque told radio station DZBB on Saturday.
Roque said the president was to stay for a short time in his home city because there was a meeting set on Tuesday in Malacañan Palace. Duterte will continue to observe quarantine rules to avoid getting the coronavirus, he said.
“Well, si President po kasi continuous quarantine e, maski nagmi-meeting po kami sa kaniya ay naka-isolate po siya, malayo siya sa amin. So talagang binabantayan po siya at iniingatan po ng PSG (Presidential Security Group),” Roque said.
In the same interview, Roque said that under new measures approved by the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Metro Manila residents won’t be allowed to go to their provinces if their purpose was leisure.
Duterte was allowed to go back to Davao City because he is the president, Roque said.
“Kung leisure po, hindi po pupuwede pa rin, unless tayo po ay may katungkulan. Kasi alam ninyo, alam ko magiging isyu ito pero huwag nating kalimutan na iyong ginawa naman ng ating Presidente na pag-uwi sa Davao, hindi lang pagbisita after 67 days kung hindi Presidente rin siya,” he said. (PressONE.ph)