Palace: President Duterte needed rest in Davao to finish paperwork

President Rodrigo Duterte is at his residence in Davao City because he had to take some rest and finish a lot of paperwork, according to Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Sunday.

"Nasa Davao, nasa bahay niya. Alam mo marami kasi siyang mga paperwork. He has to work on that kaya after China, nagpahinga siya and then nagtrabaho na ulit," Panelo said in an interview in Super Radyo dzBB.

Panelo's clarification came after President Duterte "disappeared" from public view for a week after his China trip and his appearance at the opening of the Palarong Pambansa last Sunday.

The public got an idea of what Duterte had been doing when he sent Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat a photo of him watching "Django Unchained" on Netflix at home.

Panelo told dzBB on Sunday, "Bukas mayroon kaming Cabinet meeting kaya trabaho na naman ulit [si Presidente]."

Asked if rumors that the President was hospitalized, Panelo said he did not know if Duterte consulted a doctor.

"Hindi ko alam 'yun. Ang alam ko nagkaroon siya ng migraine nung nasa China siya kaya hindi siya naka-attend ng gala dinner."

Panelo, however, assured the public that Duterte is physically fit to carry out his responsibilities.

"He's in good health. Otherwise, he would not be taking that kind of punishing schedule. "Talagang masipag, hindi mo talaga mapigilan, 'yun talaga ang nature niya," Panelo said.

On the otherhand, Panelo lashed at Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's comment on the photo of Duterte watching Netflix at home.

"Alam mo 'yang si Trillanes ay hindi ko na pinapatulan ang kabalbalan nyan... Parang hindi na nag-iisip kung magsalita 'yan. As if hindi siya nagpapahinga, as if hindi siya natutulog, as if hindi siya nanonood ng TV," he said.

Trillanes was earlier quoted in a Super Radyo interview as saying: "Hindi ka binoto ng tao para manood ka ng Netflix nang isang lingo. Hindi pwede 'yan. Hindi ka ordinaryong tao." —Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News