BREAKING NEWS: Duterte skips PDP-Laban rally in Marawi City

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Updated ( 8:22 p.m.)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte skipped the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally in Marawi City on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the bad weather prohibited Duterte to fly to Marawi.

“Not good weather for the flight to Marawi, so he canceled it so opted to rest,” Panelo told reporters in a text message.

In a statement, PDP-Laban Spokesperson Ronwald Munsayac said Duterte “wasn’t able to attend the scheduled PDP Laban campaign rally in Marawi City today (Friday) due to bad weather.”

“[Duterte’s] helicopter wasn’t given clearance to take off from Davao City,” Munsayac said.

He said the party will try to reschedule their campaign rally in Lanao del Sur.

“We can still consider the Marawi City rally a successful one since most of the party’s senatoriables were able to personally meet and deliver their messages to our partymates, leaders, and supporters in Marawi City,” he said.

“We are still on track and will be seeing everyone tomorrow (Saturday) 1:00 p.m. in Malaybalay, Bukidnon,” he added.

Senatorial aspirant Francis Tolentino, who was at the event, also told reporters in Marawi first that Duterte won’t be able to attend the sortie.

“Hindi ko alam ‘yong reason kasi kagabi magkasama pa kami sa Bacolod. Pero medyo late na ‘yon eh. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari (I don’t know the reason. I was with him last night in Bacolod, but it was late. I don’t know what happened),” Tolentino said.

Duterte, PDP-Laban chairman, was in Bacolod Thursday for the party’s rally.

Tolentino even joked that he and the President had eaten a lot of “lechon” in Bacolod.

“Ang dami pa naming kinain lechon kagabi (We ate a lot of lechon last night),” he said, dismissing that Duterte’s absence was health-related.

He said Duterte’s absence was “usual.”

“Usual naman ‘yon eh. Dalawang beses nang nangyari yun. Meron nang isang previous event (It’s usual. It happened twice in the past. There’s also a previous event),” he said.

Duterte is Okay

Asked if Duterte was feeling unwell, Panelo said the President was okay and had even reviewed some papers.

“Nope, since the event was canceled and he had been working non-stop with events, meetings, and other activities, he decided to take it easy and pored over some papers while resting,” he said.