Roque: Rescheduling of President Duterte’s regular Talk to the People only normal

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque assured the public that the rescheduling of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regular Monday address amid the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing out of ordinary.

Roque was referring to the President’s Talk to the People every Monday night.

“Posible po sa Wednesday. Wala po [na ibang meeting] ‘no. But normally naman po iyan, Mondays or Wednesdays and Wednesday is what appears in my calendar,” Roque said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

(It is possible to be rescheduled on Wednesday. There are no other engagements. Normally, it is really scheduled Mondays or Wednesdays, and Wednesday is what appears in my calendar.)

Roque also said that the President will not be physically present in receiving delivered COVID-19 vaccines anymore. Duterte personally received the donated AstraZeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses in February and March.

“Sinabi po ni Presidente na iyong huling pagdating ng Sinovac eh baka iyon na rin po iyong huli niyang pagsalubong sa mga bakuna bagama’t inaasahan natin na sunud-sunod na po ang pagdating ng mga bakuna,” Roque said.

(The President said that his recent engagement of personally receiving one million Sinovac doses would be the last time he would be physically present in the delivery although he is expecting the unhampered delivery of vaccine doses.)

“Ang inaasahan naman niya ay sunud-sunod na iyong pagdating, so it will just be, kumbaga, matter of course na marami nang bakunang darating ‘no as supplies ease up worldwide. So iyon lang po ‘yun, hindi na siya physically na pupunta sa airport para salubungin iyong mga bakuna,” Roque added.

(He is counting on supply easing up worldwide. That is just it. He won’t be present in the airport anymore.)

The Philippines has 143,726 active COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 62,096 were recorded in the National Capital Region in the last 14 days.—AOL, GMA News