IN time for his 76th birthday, President Rodrigo Duterte goes on what his chief legal counsel referred to as “self-quarantine,” following the advice of his doctors who cited the need for protection given that his presidential duties have exposed him to officials and other persons around him.
In a statement, presidential lawyer Salvador Panelo said that the President would still be working even while under self-quarantine.
“He will certainly continue with his presidential duties even under quarantine and while celebrating the quietude of the day of his birth,” said Panelo who hinted at a wish that the President made in time for his birthday.
“His only birthday wish for our countrymen is to observe the minimum health protocols for their safety and protection, and the total eradication of the coronavirus, as the country is experiencing a surge in the number of infected COVID-19 cases,” the statement further reads.
Interestingly, Panelo’s statement also hinted at the Presidential Security Group (PSG) as having advised the President to take a leave, too. The statement didn’t say why the PSG made such a recommendation.
As this developed, Duterte is expected to make a public announcement on his decision to the recommendation submitted by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) wanting the President to re-impose a hard lockdown again in Metro Manila and its adjoining provinces.
The IATF has recommended the re-imposition of the most stringent lockdown classification for Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Bulacan in view of the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 infections, which now stands at more than 712,442.
Interestingly, the imminent imposition might not be able to include the same provision it has given to those who were affected when the President first declared a strict lockdown sometime in March last year, citing the government’s financial condition.
The IATF originally wanted to clamp down on areas logging whopping numbers for the next two weeks, but insiders said that the President just might agree to declare a hard lockdown until after the Holy Week.
The OCTA Research has been projecting a downtrend in the number of coronavirus cases in Metro Manila and its adjacent provinces, four weeks after the areas were placed in a “National Capital Region (NCR) Plus” bubble.
To date, the Department of Health has recorded 712,442 confirmed COVID-19 cases following the recent tally which recorded another all-time high of 9,838 new COVID-19 infections just for one day, followed by a 9,595 count today.
Active cases pegged at 118,122 today also breached records from last year’s figure.