DAVAO CITY (February 7)— The Palace on Monday, February 4, said Malacanang would not take legal action against those who are spreading malicious reports about President Rodigo Roa Duterte’s condition.
“Ordinaryo na iyon eh. We’re used to that anyway. Let it be… Hayaan mo sila,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said during a Palace press briefing.
Rumors about the President’s physical well-being viralled on social media after the Chief Executive cancelled his attendance of the Barangay Summit on Peace and Order in Tacloban, Leyte due to slight fever.
“Sabi ni Bong Go, may slight fever. He wanted to make sure na hindi na lalala iyon. So nagpahinga,” Panelo said.
“He is not superhuman. He is human… He felt siguro his body was not up to performing any activity that day. So he cancelled all his activities that day. He preferred to rest,” Panelo added.
The Palace official likewise stressed that this decision of the President to rest must be lauded since it clearly shows that he is taking good care of his health more than anything else.
“[W]e should commend him for that, which means he’s taking care of himself. He’s not pushing himself to the limits,” Panelo explained.
Panelo, meanwhile, addressed the concerns over the action of Ms. Honeylet Avanceña to go live on Facebook over the weekend to address the rumors that the Chief Executive had died.
“Because the social media was buzzing with so many speculations. So, she felt it was necessary para matapos na kaagad iyong tsismis,” Panelo said.
“Eh kasi iyong mga makukulit, they can’t accept the fact that this President appears to be indestructible and apparently immune from any illness despite his punishing schedule. Kaya they just kill him in their minds,” Panelo added.
Despite this fear-mongering on the President’s health among Filipinos, the Palace is confident the Filipino people know better and could decipher what is fake from what is not.
“But it looks like they are not affected by it, the majority of Filipinos. That’s the intention, but it does not affect them anyway kasi matagal na iyang kinakalat na iyan, wala namang naniniwala. Natatawa na lang nga eh,” Panelo said. –NewsLIne.ph
