After placing Luzon on COVID-19 quarantine, Duterte says he will still go out in public

President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would still go out in public even after he told everyone in Luzon to stay home as much as possible to arrest the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Duterte placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine and told the nation in a televised address from Malacañang that the residents should “stay at their homes, leaving their houses only to buy food, medicine and other basic necessary for survival in the coming days.”

This does not mean, however, that the President will not leave the presidential palace during the health emergency.

“Unahin ko na ‘yung na-assign diyan sa frontline sa COVID… I would also like to join them para walang masabi ang tao,” Duterte said.

“Ako lalabas ako. You will see me. Ay lalabas ako. Hindi ako maniwala niyang, kasi ako may ibang doctrine ako sa buhay eh. And that is kung panahon ko na, panahon ko na either COVID, bala, crash o anuman," he added.

Duterte said everyone carries the responsibility of fighting COVID-19 and preventing it from spreading to fellow Filipinos.

However, Duterte admitted that Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra avoided shaking hands with him prior to the start of the meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

“Kanina nga pagdating ko gusto kong makipaglamano kay Secretary Guevarra, tinanggihan niya ako,” Duterte said, drawing laughter from those in attendance.

“Tinago niya ‘yung kamay niya sa dibdib niya, so ibig sabihin ayaw niya. Ah ‘di o sige. Ayaw niyang mahawa.”

Health experts have advised the public against shaking hands as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.

At the IATF meeting in Malacañang on Monday, Senator Bong Go says DOJ Sec. Menardo Guevarra avoided shaking hands with President Duterte. Health experts have advised the public against shaking hands as a precautionary measure vs COVID-19. ????: Sen. Go @gmanews pic.twitter.com/e0O33lipRF

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) March 16, 2020

“Kung hindi ako mag-survive ng COVID, eh hindi ako karapat-dapat maging mayor dito sa Pilipinas,” Duterte said. -NB, GMA News