President Duterte will eventually be spending more time in Manila—spokesperson

(PCOO photo)

MANILA—Though President Rodrigo Duterte spent his first weekend as President in his hometown in Davao City, the new leader of the country will eventually be spending more time in Manila, according to his spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Monday.

”You know, he’ll be spending a lot more time here considering the fact that he is, in a sense, like bicoastal. He’s both north and south. But he will be spending considerable amount of time in Manila,” Abella said in a press conference in Malacanang.

Abella said President Duterte will be staying “within the grounds” of Malacanang Palace every time the President is in Manila.

Abella said President Duterte would regularly go back every weekend to Davao City, 978 kilometer away from Manila.

”I think he enjoys the personal time and he need it also,” Abella told the media.

He said he have no idea if the travel expenses of the President will be shouldered by the government.

Abella explained also the absence of President Duterte in the flag-raising ceremony in the President’s first Monday in Malacanang.

”You know this is a ceremonial process and, you know, the President is not a person who stands on ceremony. He is really an action person. But you can expect him to show up when action is really needed,” the Palace spokesperson said.

He believed that the President’s absence in the flag-raising ceremony would not be an issue “because we know his priorities and his priorities are really to act.

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Abella said President Duterte would also be spending more time in the Philippines to address domestic problems.

”So maybe foreign travel is really not a priority at this stage,” he said.