President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday explained his recent spell of being absent from the public eye, saying he was on an out-of-town visit but could not as yet divulge details about it.
On his visit to grace the 50th founding anniversary celebration in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte, his presence was a sight to behold, electrifying the crowd.
“In coma ako? Wrong spelling. Kama!” he joked.
After visiting troops based in Butuan City on Saturday afternoon, Duterte held a press conference to shed light on his reasons for scarcely making public appearances from Monday to Friday.
“In coma ako? Wrong spelling. Kama!” he joked to media. “Kama” is “bed” in Filipino.
Duterte said he had been “resting”, but had also gone out of town for a visit “somewhere else”.
He said he could not say more about it, except to state that he traveled like a private citizen so that he could reach his destination.
Asked about his health, he replied, “My state of health, what you see is what you get.”
Duterte told reporters that they must learn from journalists posted to his hometown, Davao City, where has been mayor for a long time.
“Ganun ako (That’s the way I am). I do not need anybody asking where I’m going,” he said.
He told troops of the Tactical Operations Group Region X and the 401st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) Advance Command Post in Bancasi, Butuan City that he will make sure their children would have a P20 billion trust fund for their education.
By the end of his term, he looks forward to the trust fund reaching P50 billion.
Duterte assured the soldiers that he would take care of them, noting that military hospitals now have MRI scanners and generators.
He thanked them for performing their duty to protect the people and the national territory.
Meanwhile, he noted that the terrorist Maute Group had been stockpiling arms allegedly with the help of local politicians and warlords, which was why they seemed to have an endless supply of ammunition.
“It was not a question of failure on part of government or a failure of intelligence, because if you men them bearing guns and they are said to belong to MILF, MNLF, our standing order was [in deference to the peace process] … maybe we can still talk to our brothers to keep the peace. All the while, this Maute, with the connivance of the politicians there, the warlords, were stockpiling weapons,” Duterte said.
He mentioned that his health condition is “immaterial” because the Constitution has a mechanism for succession in the event that he can no longer perform his functions.
“Pag ‘di niyo ako nakita ng limang araw eh di patay na yan … So you swear in [Leni] Robredo. Ano ba ang problema niyo? May bise presidente (If I don’t show my face for five days it probably means I’m dead. What’s your problem? There is a vice president),” he said.
“The only (time you will have a) problem is when there is no successor because there will be a struggle. If that’s the case, there will be a vacuum in leadership, the military will always take over to control put things in order and maybe set an election,” the chief executive said.
Duterte also urged the public not to worry too much about him.
“What is important is I have a successor so there is a constitutional succession, you follow it,” he said.
“To my countrymen, do not worry too much. Ayaw pa ninyo niyan isang taon lang bago na naman (Don’t you want a new president after a year)? I’m good. I’m alive,” the president said. (With a report from Philippine Star)