Duterte not sick, returns to work
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 06 May 2019 09:58:46 +0000
President Duterte returned to work for a Cabinet meeting yesterday after working from his house in Davao City in the past week.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo belied reports that Duterte was sick, saying that the President only wanted to focus on work that piled up because of his trip to Beijing, China last month.
“He worked at home,” Panelo said. “The reason is he wanted to focus on his work.”
“You know when a member of the Cabinet, especially the President, is not in his office for a few days, matatambakan ka. Ganyan siguro nangyari kay Presidente. Sa dami ng papeles na dapat niyang binasa, pipirmahan, natambakan. He decided to stay in the house and work on them,” he added.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat over the weekend shared a photo online that showed Duterte lying on his bed while watching a movie on Netflix. Panelo said the President shared the picture to quell rumors that he is sick.
“The only reason why pinakita niya ‘yung picture na watching siya at tsaka nagbabasa ng diyaryo at the same time, para ma-ease yung concern na may sakit siya. Ibig sabihin, ‘OK ako.’ Yun lang ang reason doon,” Panelo said.
The Palace official slammed critics of the President for speculating on the Chief Executive’s health or work ethic just because he watched a movie.
“Masyado kayong nitpicking and hairsplitting. Lahat na lang. ‘Wag niyong kalimutan, don’t forget that the satisfactory rating of the President is the highest since 1989,” Panelo said, referring to the latest Social Weather Stations survey which showed a record-high satisfaction rating for the Duterte administration.
“Ibig sabihin, ‘yung pamamaraan ng kanyang pamamalakad sa paghawak ng puder ng kapangyarihan ay kuntento ang ating mga kababayan at naa-appreciate nila ito,” he added.
According to Panelo, Duterte, when working at home, usually sleeps at around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. because he likes to work at night. He, however, assured that the President sleeps for eight hours a day.
Duterte was last seen in public during the opening of the Palarong Pambansa two Sundays ago. His first public appearance since then was late Sunday when he visited the wake of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles, hours before his schedule Cabinet meeting. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)