Duterte “in perpetual isolation,” says Palace

August 17, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte is in "perpetual isolation" and no one can really come close to him in this time of coronavirus disease pandemic, Malacanang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after concerns that he had interacted with Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano who was again tested positive for coronavirus, prompting also some Cabinet officials like him to isolate themselves.

"The President is in perpetual isolation because no one can come close to him. I think, I have told you that whenever we meet with him, there is a velvet rope that keeps him at least six feet away from everyone else. So, no one can really come close to the President," he said in a televised press briefing.

"So, I guess my answer is he's in perpetual isolation in the sense that PSG (Presidential Security Group) has done a very good job in making sure that no one really comes close to the President," he explained.

Roque and some Cabinet officials were supposed to fly to Davao City where the President is for the meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday. But they decided not to go there after Ano was again infected by the virus.

Roque, who was with Ano in an airplane recently, said he is in self-isolation and they would just hold the meeting via Zoom.

The spokesman said Duterte undergoes regular RT-PCR tests.

"He's actually complaining because of the frequent swabbing of his nose. The last time I heard him, 'I'm being swabbed again on my nose'. And I think it's also because it's a requirement of Davao City Mayor Sara (Duterte-Carpio) whenever he goes back to Davao and he complies with the requirements of the local government," Roque said.

The Davao City government is requiring all those arriving at the Davao airport to have a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours.

A the same time, Roque reiterated that Duterte is in good health.

"His health is fine," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS