Durante says Duterte 'in good health' even as PSG men get COVID-19

President Rodrigo Duterte is in good health, Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Jesus Durante III said Wednesday.

Durante made the assurance to the public after he confirmed in a Wednesday interview with state-run PTV that 45 members of the PSG tested positive for COVID-19.

“The President is safe. The president is in good health, he is in the Palace,  [and] is working,” Durante said.

Durante did not categorically say whether the President is infected with COVID-19 or otherwise.

“He is regularly being tested [for COVID-19 as necessary and of course he adheres to health protocols since the start of the pandemic,” he added.

Prior to Durante’s announcement, Senator and the President’s former longtime aide Christopher “Bong” Go said that the President’s scheduled public address tonight was postponed due to PSG members testing positive for COVID-19.

The President’s public address, however, was initially scheduled on Monday before it was moved to Wednesday and was ultimately cancelled.

The President’s last public appearance was last March 29, when he personally received one million doses of Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines—the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses paid for by the national government that was delivered to the country.

Later that same day, the President delivered his regular public address.

The President celebrated his 76th birthday in his Davao city home last March 28.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said that there was no need for the President to cut down on his engagements outside the Palace since the President's activities are limited to areas with low incidence of COVID-19.

The Philippines has 158,701 active COVID-19 cases as of April 7, including 6,414 new COVID-19 cases. --NB, GMA News