Palace says Duterte 'just taking some time off to rejuvenate'

Malacañang on Thursday reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte is “well” amid his continued absence from the public eye.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte, who is 72 years old, is “taking some time off to rejuvenate.”

“After all, you have to consider that he has been on the road for at least 23 days, fulfilling his martial law supervision, so it has been really brutal, so we have to allow him this kind of rest,” Abella said at the regular press briefing.

He, however, said he can’t give the exact date when Duterte’s next public appearance will be.

Abella also said he does not have specifics about the President’s private time, but noted that Duterte must be “spending the time mainly resting.”

The President has been noticeably absent from the public eye this week, which began when he skipped the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at Rizal Park for the country’s 119th Independence Day.

This has raised some concerns over the state of his health, with opposition lawmakers asking for regular updates on this since it is a “national security issue.” 

Abella, in turn, said they give such updates via the regular Malacañang press briefing.

Pressed about what the President’s condition is, he assured that there is “nothing to worry” about.

“I’m talking about his general sickness condition. I’m saying there is nothing to worry about in terms of sickness, major sickness, but what I’m saying is that considering the schedule he has been given, he needs to rest. You do need to rest, don’t you?” he replied.

“He’s tired, he’s just tired. Like I said, he has been on the road for about 23 days. As far as I can say, he’s resting,” he added.

Duterte had been visiting military camps, hospitals, and wakes since he declared martial law in Mindanao to quell the ISIS-inspired Maute forces in Marawi City.

On Sunday, he visited wounded soldiers in Cagayan de Oro City. He later joined the families of the slain soldiers late in the evening at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City for the transfer of their remains. —KBK, GMA News