‘Hardworking’ Duterte needs rest — Palace
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 11:41:21 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte deserves some rest as he has been “working very hard,” Malacañang said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said other world leaders expressed concern about Duterte’s health during the recently concluded regional summit in Thailand.
“If you will ask me, he really needs to rest kasi parang may mga comment dun sa mga leaders eh, parang yung (because there’s these comments from other world leaders that), ‘Your President looks overworked. Don’t let him work too much,’” Panelo said during a press conference.
“Sabi lang naman namin, actually yeah he’s working very hard, and at the same time he had an accident. So that contributed to what you’re seeing now,” he added.
The Palace official said there was no final plan yet if Duterte would take a leave for a week.
“Wala pa (There’s no plan yet). I’ll ask him. We’ll be talking anytime now,” Panelo said of Duterte, who will be presiding over a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang today, Wednesday.
“Eh workaholic yun eh. Ayaw papigil magtrabaho nang magtrabaho. Tsaka maraming ano, you know the job of the President is just reading the briefers adn signing papers. Matagal na trabaho yun. Most likely, he will lessen his volume of work para hindi siya masyadong pressured,” he added.
Panelo made the statement to allay anew public fears on the physical condition of the President, who had been diagnosed with muscle spasms after he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging and medical evaluation.
He said previously that the President was advised by doctors to “rest for a couple of days and limit his physical activity, particularly avoiding standing or walking for long duration.”
Duterte, 74, had cut short his visit to Japan and returned to Manila after he complained of “unbearable pain in his spinal column” following his motorcycle accident.
The President visited Japan last month for the fourth time to attend the enthronement of Japanese emperor Naruhito.
Some world leaders have expressed concern over Duterte’s health after he fell off his motorcycle within the Presidential Security Group compound at Malacañang earlier last month.
Duterte will take a one-week break from activities when he returns to the Philippines after the 35th Asean Summit, his former top aide and now Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go had said. CATHERINE S. VALENTE