Duterte flies to Davao City on first day of eased lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte flew home to Davao City early Saturday even as the government strongly urged people to remain at home in light of the community quarantines being enforced to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque confirmed in a text message that the President is currently in Davao City but provided no further details.

In a separate text message, Presidential Security Group chief Col. Jesus Durante also confirmed Duterte’s trip.

“He will be back for the next IATF meeting,” Durante said.

This is despite the imposition of community quarantines in different areas nationwide that strictly limited the movement of people and banned non-essential travels.

This is the first time that Duterte has returned to Davao City since the lockdown was first enforced in mid-March, suspending transportation, and strictly enforcing home quarantine measures in the National Capital Region.

Duterte also made the trip as Tropical Storm Ambo battered parts of Luzon.

The President in a speech last April 16 said her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, prevented him from flying back to his home city when he tried to attend the birthday celebrations of his relatives, including that of his partner Honeylet Avanceña.

Duterte earlier placed Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, and Laguna, and Angeles City in Pampanga–areas deemed high risk to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection– under a modified enhanced community quarantine.

Other areas including Davao City are placed under general community quarantine until May 31 which permits some easing of movement.

/MUF