Duterte not ill, just resting — Palace

President Rodrigo Roa on Jun 11 honors the fallen Philippine Marine Corps personnel killed in the anti-terror operations in Marawi City. (PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday assured the public that there is nothing to worry about the health of President Rodrigo Duterte despite being absent from the public eye for the past several days, saying the Chief Executive is just taking some well-deserved rest after a brutal schedule.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, the President is in the Palace where he has been resting for some time considering his very hectic schedule since declaring martial law in Mindanao while still in Russia.

“The President is well. The President just needs (some rest)… After all, you have to consider that he has been on the road for at least 23 days fulfilling his martial law supervision.

It has been really brutal so we have to allow him this kind of rest,” Abella said at a Palace briefing.

The last public appearance of Duterte was on Sunday at Villamor Airbase in Pasay where he visited the wake of eight of the 13 Philippine Marines killed in action in Marawi City.

Since then, he has not been seen in public, even missing the Independence Day ceremonies at Rizal Park last Monday, fueling speculations that the President is ill.

However, Abella said that there is nothing to worry about in terms of sickness

“He is just tired,” he stressed.

In the meantime, Abella said the Palace cannot give a definite date on the President’s next public appearance, only that part of his future schedules included visits to evacuations centers for Maarwi evacuees.

“I cannot really give you the definite date. But he’s just taking some time off to rejuvenate,” he said.

“Well, as soon as he is able to… As soon as he can fit it (visit to evacuation centers) in to his schedules, I already seen some of his schedules, I’m sure he will accommodate some of that,” Abella said.