PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte remains “alive and well” amid speculation triggered by his lengthy absence from the public eye, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Following his renewed six-day absence from the public from June 21 to 26, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the President remains in the pink of health but needs more time to work on documents that need to be studied.
“First and foremost, he is alive and well,” Abella told reporters in a Palace news briefing.
“He is very well. He is just busy doing what he really needs to do.”
The lack of official events recently marks Duterte’s new working style, his spokesperson said.
“Being out of the public eye is really when he gets to work…The thing important to know is he is on top of every situation,” Abella said.
Abella added 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.
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.