President Rodrigo Duterte will address the nation for the first time in two weeks on Monday night, his spokesman said.
“This confirms that the President will hold his Talk to the People tonight,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque told reporters.
Duterte had two addresses postponed last week. The first was supposed to be held on Monday, April 5 and the second on Wednesday, April 7.
The president’s April 7 address was postponed “in light of the rising number of active Covid-19 cases,” said Roque.
Duterte’s aide Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go would later say that the address was postponed “to avoid putting him at risk due to the reported Covid-19 cases in the PSG (Presidential Security Group).”
‘Duterte thinks about PH 24/7’
In a virtual presser, Roque said Duterte, the highest-ranking public official, was not the type who publicized his work.
Roque made the statement after Go posted photos of Duterte golfing, jogging, and riding a tricycle.
“Alam ninyo po ang presidente, walang iniisip kung hindi iyong mga problema ng bayan. So may mga iba kasi nagpapakita lang ‘pag sila’y nagtatrabaho, iyong mga para lang mapakita purposes ‘no. Pero alam naman natin ang Presidente natin 24 hours, 24/7 ang kaniyang pag-iisip ay nasa bayan po,” he said.
Roque also affirmed that the president was doing his job, even though he was unable to address the public.
“[T]he president made all the decisions he needs to make, particularly on the quarantine classifications. Patuloy din ang kaniyang pag-supervise dito sa acquisition ng mga bakuna at pagsisigurado na ang bakuna ay naro-rollout at the soonest time possible,” he said.
“So ang assumption po ninyo, kinakailangang magpakita para patunay na nagtatrabaho ang presidente, hindi po ganoon ang istilo ng ating presidente. Hindi na po niya kinakailangang ipagmayabang sa publiko na siya ay nagtatrabaho.” John Ezekiel J. Hirro