Coronavirus rumours prompt Duterte to address citizens in Facebook video
- Manila has been bubbling with rumours about the president’s health, prompting him to address citizens in a Facebook live video on Monday evening
- In the same video, the president reminds the public to wash hands, wear face masks and stay at home
Reacting to the story on Monday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte’s health was fine; the president was not in Singapore and he would appear later that night in a televised cabinet meeting to announce whether the lockdown of Metro Manila would continue.
Opposition figure and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay tweeted: “Perpetual isolation in the midst of a pandemic is incapacity to perform the functions of the office. A true leader will not selfishly hide while the nation is suffering.”
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He removed his mask and face shield, then told the audience: “Welcome home, President Duterte welcomes you home.”
He said Duterte was “the first and only president who has cared for the least of the Filipino people”. He then paused, apparently overcome, breathed heavily and said, “thank you for the honour of serving you” and left the podium.
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Speculation immediately flared that Locsin was upset because Duterte was in extremis.
A military officer who asked not to be identified said there were rumours coming from retired officers that the president had Covid-19. “But no confirmation.”
But Vicente Sotto III, the senate president, scoffed at the rumours. “Yes it’s all chismis [gossip] as usual,” he told the South China Morning Post. Locsin had become emotional because he had held a baby with no bones before he had spoken, he said.
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Go also appeared with Duterte in a short video posted on Facebook.
“Here is the president,” Go said, and a masked Duterte appeared on the screen.
“As you can see clearly, I’ve been in Davao all along, avoiding Covid,” said a listless Duterte, slowly. “I’m here in Davao, avoiding Covid. The admonition is wash your hands, wear a mask, cover your eyes and stay home. That’s what I did. I’m here in Davao, don’t believe...,” he let the sentence trail off and then walked away.
Go then spoke to the camera: “So the president is here, he’s going to attend his talk to the people, at the IATF [interagency task force] meeting. So don’t worry. And to those spreading fake news, shame on you, our president is working for the country. We are going all out to serve you. Thanks and take care.”
Prior to the Facebook video Duterte was last seen by the public on August 10 in a late night televised cabinet meeting. The broadcast was abruptly cut at one point when the president started to refer to his “two wives”.
He has a habit of vanishing for days, skipping several important occasions. Even before he became president his poor health had been the subject of stories and speculation.
Duterte himself has claimed he suffers from several ailments, among them Buerger’s disease, which afflicts the arteries and veins, and Barrett’s esophagus, a gastrointestinal condition. He has also said he’s often in pain, suffers migraines and takes fentanyl. He has never revealed his medical records; in May the Supreme Court rejected a petition for him to disclose them.
One other rumour making the rounds is that Vice-President Leni Robredo has been taken to a secure location. Asked about this, her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said: “I don’t talk about issues relating to her personal security.”
