By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to deliver a televised public address on Thursday night, Malacañang said.
“Mamaya po, magkakaroon ng talk to the people ang Pangulo (The President will have a talk to the people later),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
This will be the second time Duterte will hold a talk to the nation this week after his two-week absence from the public eye.
Duterte is expected to tackle several issues he had raised with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a teleconference held Tuesday, Roque said.
“Siya na po ang magku-kuwento kung ano ang nangyari sa kanilang usapan ni President Putin (He will discuss what happened during his phone conversation with President Putin),” he said.
On Tuesday, Malacañang said Duterte and Putin had an “open and productive” telesummit.
The two leaders discussed the two nation’s cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), as well as in other fields like defense and cooperation, trade and investments, agriculture, energy, and politics.
Duterte’s address to the nation was canceled last week, fueling concerns about his health.
Duterte, in his public address delivered on Monday night, said his recent absence was “intentional” because his critics are asking about his whereabouts.
The 76-year-old President, nevertheless, assured the public that he remains fit to perform his duties as the country’s highest elected official.
Roque said it is Duterte’s “style” to avoid the public eye, especially when critics keep on finding fault with everything the Chief Executive does.
“Wala po kayong magagawa. ‘Yun ang paniniwala ng Presidente. Lalo siyang ginigipit, lalo siyang lalaban. So hayaan na po natin ‘yun. Istilo ni Presidente ‘yun. Kani-kaniyang istilo tayo (You cannot do anything. That’s the President’s stance. The more you criticize him, the more he will fight. Let it be. That’s the President’s style. We have different styles),” he said.
Duterte's last public appearance was on March 29 when he addressed the nation and witnessed the arrival of 1 million doses of government-procured Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech.
Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante on April 7 said Duterte’s activities were postponed due to the alarming spike in Covid-19 cases among PSG personnel.
He also guaranteed that Duterte is “safe” and “in good health.”
Also last week, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go released a series of photos and videos of Duterte jogging, riding a big bike, and playing golf to dispel rumors about the President’s supposedly deteriorating health.
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