Duterte only wanted to ‘lighten the mood’ by joking about capping Taal Volcano’s crater – Palace

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Image from PCOO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte only wanted to “lighten the mood” when he joked about capping Taal Volcano’s crater, Malacañang said Monday.

“The President, of course, was trying to lighten the mood dahil ano ba naman yan, may pandemya na nga, may pagputok pa ng bulkang Taal. That’s the President’s style,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing when sought to comment on criticisms over the President’s joke.

(The President, of course, was trying to lighten the mood because there’s a pandemic and now, the eruption of Taal Volcano. That’s the President’s style.)

Roque said that they would just leave the critics alone “if that will make them happy” since the President’s term is about to end anyway.

“Kung talagang mag-iisip kayo ng masama, e sa ‘mulat mula, ganyan na po kayo mag-isip e ipagpatuloy niyo na. Anyway, matatapos naman na ang termino ng Presidente. Kung liligaya po iyang mga taong yan, pabayaan niyo na po sila,” Roque said.

(If they think badly of it, as they have from the beginning, keep doing it. Anyway, the President’s term is already nearing its end. If that will make these people happy, let them be.)

Last week, Duterte joked about capping Taal Volcano’s crater after it was placed under Alert Level 3 and released a “phreatomagmatic plume.”

READ: Jester Duterte says to put cap on Taal’s crater amid volcano’s unrest

State volcanologists explained raising Taal’s status to Alert Level 3 “means that there is magmatic intrusion at the Main Crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions.”

At least 3,000 persons were already evacuated from the “high-risk” towns of Agoncillo, Laurel, San Nicolas and Lemery in Batangas after Taal Volcano’s recent activity.

READ: Taal: More evacuated; PNP enforces distancing

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