Duterte denies trip abroad, says he's been in Davao all along

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday indicated that he had been in Davao City over the weekend amid reports that he had gone abroad in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a post on Senator Christopher Go's Facebook page, Duterte said he had been in Davao all along.

"Well as you can see clearly, I’ve been in Davao all along. Umiiwas tayo ng COVID. The admonition is wash your hands, wear a mask, cover your eyes and stay home. That’s what I did. Andito po ako sa Davao. Huwag po kayong maniwala," Duterte said.

The video was taken before Duterte met with the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Emerging Infectious Diseases hours before the the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine expired in Metro Manila and other COVID-19 hot spots.

"Nandito po si Pangulo, papunta na siya, mag-aattend po siya ng kanyang talk to the nation at mag IATF meeting," Go said.

"So huwag po kayong mag-alaala, at sa mga nagpapakalat ng fake news, makonsyensya po kayo. Nagtatrabaho lang po ang ating Presidente, para sa bayan," he added.

Physically present in Davao City are Go and Budget Secretary Wendell Avisado.

Others who joined via Zoom were Secretaries Francisco Duque of Health, Delfin Lorenzana of National Defense, Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the National Action Plan against COVID-19, and Harry Roque, the presidential spokesman. -NB, GMA News