MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is “alive and well,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told a press briefing in Malacañang Tuesday amid renewed speculation about the chief executive’s wellbeing triggered by his latest lengthy absence from the public eye.
Asked how Duterte, who has not been seen in public over the last five days, has been, Abella said: “First and foremost, he is alive and well.”
“He is very well,” Abella continued. “He is just busy doing what he really needs to do.”
Questions about Duterte’s health were first raised when he missed out on Independence Day rites on June 12 and stayed out of sight until June 16.
He again dropped from view on June 21, although his “tentative schedule” for Tuesday shows he is presiding over a meeting in the Palace in the afternoon and will host an event marking Eid’l Fitr, or the festival for the end of Ramadan.
Abella explained that Duterte can better accomplish office work in private.
“He signs papers, he reads, he consults, he is actually very busy. But the thing that is very important to note is that he is on top of every situation. He is aware of what’s happening. He’s updated regularly. He reads, he views, he listens to these. And he is quite aware.”
The last photos of Duterte uploaded on the Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office were taken June 20, or exactly a week ago, when he flew to Manila from Cagayan de Oro City with nine soldiers wounded in the fighting in Marawi.
