Where’s the President? He’s in ‘perpetual isolation,’ says Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday assured the public that President Rodrigo Duterte’s health is “fine,” adding that the chief executive undergoes regular COVID-19 testing while kept in “perpetual isolation.”

“The President is in perpetual isolation because no one can come close to him. I think sinabi ko na rin sa inyo (I’ve told you), whenever we meet with him, there is a velvet rope that keeps him at least six feet away from everyone else so no one can really come close to the President,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

“He does undergo regular PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests. Nagrereklamo siya nga kasi paulit-ulit na yung pagsundot sa ilong niya (He complains about the discomfort of the swab tests). And I think it’s also a requirement of Davao City Mayor Sara whenever he goes back in Davao so he complies with the requirements of the local government,” he added.

A figure of speech

In a later statement, Roque said “perpetual isolation” was only a figure of speech he used “to highlight the prudence exercised by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in safeguarding the physical well-being of the President in this challenging time of COVID-19.”

“Much as he wanted, for instance, to shake the hands of those present during his fifth State of the Nation Address, the PSG discouraged PRRD from doing so as part of the precautionary measure of maintaining physical distance,” Roque explained.

Roque made the assurance after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año tested positive anew for COVID-19.

The President’s previous meeting with Año along with his other Cabinet members was on August 10.

Roque and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III have confirmed that they are undergoing self-isolation after interacting with Año.

Meanwhile, Roque also assured that the President’s health is “fine” as he dismissed anew reports that Duterte left the country over the weekend for medical treatment.

“Nilinaw ko po sa isang statement kahapon na fake news po ang pag-alis ng Pilipinas ng ating Presidente. Nananatili po siya sa Davao, hindi po siya umaalis ng Pilipinas, and his health is fine,” Roque said.

(I cleared it up in a statement yesterday that the President supposedly leaving the country was fake news. He is still in Davao and has not left the Philippines and his health is fine.)

Duterte is scheduled to meet with the members of COVID-19 task force virtually on Monday to decide the new quarantine classifications of Metro Manila and its nearby provinces. [ac]