Thursday meeting not a Cabinet meeting, says Palace amid Duterte's absence

The meeting that President Rodrigo Duterte missed on Thursday was not a Cabinet meeting, according to Malacañang on Friday.

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the meeting was just a "Zoom meeting" attended by "some" department heads.

"Yesterday's meeting was not a Cabinet meeting. As mentioned, it was a Zoom meeting attended by some Department Secretaries," Roque said.

Roque said the Zoom meeting was presided by the Executive Secretary "to discuss COVID-19 and other related matters, such as contact tracing, the status of the hazard pay of healthcare workers, prepositioning of items for distribution and the codification of procedure for future references in case similar situation occurs, PhilHealth payments to address present surge, among others."

"It was an informal but productive meeting," he said. "We hope this clarifies the matter."

Prior to the Thursday meeting, the President's public address was postponed twice -- first on Monday and then on Wednesday. Malacañang said the address will take place next week.

Roque, meanwhile, also defended the President’s lack of public event during the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) by citing the ongoing enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) reimposed in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces due to surge in COVID-19 cases.

An ECQ protocol bans non-essential trips and non-essential businesses and services from operating. It also bans mass gathering.

"The President's critics are asking why President Rodrigo Duterte has no public event to commemorate Araw ng Kagitingan. Lest they forget, we are under community quarantine, where gatherings are not encouraged," Roque said in a separate statement.

"In addition, active cases of COVID-19 remain high and we have to ensure not only the safety of the President but also the physical well-being of the staff and the security in charge of the coordination and preparation of the presidential engagement or event," he added.

Roque also addressed critics of the President who claimed that photos showing Duterte is alive and well were edited.

"Those who made noise on the matter are the usual detractors of the Chief Executive who see nothing good in what he does," he said.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who has criticized Duterte many times in the past, said in an ANC interview on Friday that it is only natural for the public to look for the leader’s presence amid a pandemic. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News