MMDA chief presented ECQ proposal to Duterte but didn't realize he was on mute

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairperson Benhur Abalos on Thursday said he presented President Rodrigo Duterte of the National Capital Region's mayors' wish for a stricter quarantine but realized too late that he had no sound.

"Ang problema ko, mali, wala pala akong volume… Ang haba ko nag-present, wala pa lang volume na lumalabas sa bibig ko,” Abalos said at a news conference.

[The problem was I had no sound... I presented lengthily but it turned out there was no sound being received.]

Abalos in a statement on Wednesday said the mayors were ready for the National Capital Region to be placed under a two-week enhanced community quarantine if the national government would have funds for cash doles.

Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque confirmed the sound issues during Duterte's talk to the people on Wednesday night, when officials both physically present like Roque and remotely participating via online facilities like Abalos discussed the COVID-19 response, quarantine classifications and other issues.

"Wala pong nangyaring diskusyon... Kung napanood po ninyo kagabi, matapos ko po basahin ang rekomendasyon,  ako na po ang nagsabi kay Presidente pakinggan po natin si Chairman Abalos," Roque said.

"Eh noong nagsasalita noong una si Chairman Abalos, wala po siyang sounds," he added.

[There was no discussion... If you watched last night, after I read the recommendations, I told the President if we could already listen to Chairman Abalos. When Chairman Abalos spoke, he had no sound.] —NB, GMA News