Malacañang on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte had been working “nonstop” in his hometown Davao City amid the rumors over his health.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte was busy with a “mountain” of paperwork, particularly with appointment papers.
“I know that when he leaves Manila, we bring him a mountain of documents so he works nonstop,” Roque said.
He said the President was very meticulous when it came to signing official documents.
“I’m sure our President, a former mayor, is checking them one by one before he signs them off, so he continues to work wherever he is,” Roque said.
He says Duterte always ensures he does not neglect his work regardless of whether he is in Davao City or Malacañang in Manila.
“When he’s in Davao, he still fulfills his duties but in a different venue,” he said.
Meanwhile, Roque said Duterte was scheduled to hold another public address on Aug. 24.
Over the weekend, the rumors swirled that Duterte flew to Singapore due to a health emergency.
But Duterte belied the rumors by appearing on a live Facebook video on Monday together with his former aide, Senator Christopher Go.
He says he never leaves his hometown as a precaution against the coronavirus disease.
In his public address the same night, Duterte said he had no reason to hide any of his foreign trips—especially if those involved the use of public funds.
He said he had “no obligation” to “travel in secret.”
“So stop this nonsense about me going to Singapore. If I want to go there, I will. It’s none of your business if I want to go,” he said.
Duterte’s health had always been subject to speculation since the start of his presidency.
The 75-year-old President suffers from back pains, migraines, Buerger’s disease, an inflammation of small- and medium-sized blood vessels, and Barrett’s esophagus, a potentially serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
However, he says, his health conditions do not hinder him from performing his duties.
Duterte, who is in Davao City, his hometown, was in “perpetual isolation” in the sense that he was not allowed to have close contacts with the members of his Cabinet, Roque said earlier.