MANILA – Malacañang is considering the possibility of airing the speeches of President Rodrigo Duterte live to allay concerns over the state of his health.
“We’re talking about it,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual Palace briefing on Thursday.
Roque said should the President agree to hold a live press briefing with reporters, it would most likely be done virtually as a precaution to reduce the chances of contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“It’s speculative. Let’s see first if the press briefing will take place but if it does, it will have to be similar to what we’re having right now,” he said.
Roque defended the decision to air edited versions of Duterte’s late night public addresses, saying the entire speech could not be shown because a huge chunk of them are “intertwined” within the meeting with select members of the Cabinet.
“We’re editing it because it’s not just an address to the nation, it’s also a meeting with select members of Cabinet. We edit out the portions which are not for public consumption because, as I said, you cannot make good policy just on the basis that they are popular policies that is why there is executive privilege,” he said.
According to Roque, Duterte is always consulted before cuts to his speeches are made.
He also assured anew that the President would inform the public should he learn that he is seriously ill, as part of his obligation as a lawyer and the country’s highest elected official.
“He took an oath as a lawyer and as President to uphold the laws of the land and the Constitution. And the Constitution only says if there is a serious illness is there an obligation to reveal to the public the details of his health condition,”
Roque said.
Meanwhile, he maintained that Duterte’s daily official schedule has always been confidential.
“I release a copy of the schedule and there is always a warning there that it’s a secret information,” he said.
On Monday, Duterte bared that his doctor had advised him to stop drinking as his Barrett’s esophagus was “nearing Stage 1 cancer.”
Barrett’s esophagus is a potentially serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease. People with Barrett’s esophagus are more likely to develop esophageal cancer.
Besides Barrett’s esophagus, the 75-year-old President also suffers from back pains, migraines, and Buerger’s disease, an inflammation of small- and medium-sized blood vessels.
Duterte, however, said these issues do not hinder him from performing his duties as President.
Questions over the state of his health resurfaced since he has been in his hometown Davao City since August 3 and has been working and holding meetings with Cabinet members from there.