Duterte says if he dies visiting Pinoys face-to-face, VP Robredo is there to succeed him

President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants to go out to meet with people face-to-face even if his doctor is preventing him from doing so.

In his weekly address to the public, Duterte said if he dies visiting Filipinos face-to-face, Vice President Leni Robredo is there to succeed him.

"Magplano ako. 'Wag mo ako pilitin na hindi makalabas kasi 'yong mga tao gusto ako makita... Bahala na ang Diyos sa kung ano mangyayari," he said.

"Kung dadapuan ako ng Delta, wala na. Nandiyan naman si Leni Robredo ang succession eh di sa kaniya na," the president added.

The Department of Health said the highly contagious Delta variant has been found in 13 of the 17 regions across the country.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 355 of the 450 Delta variant cases are local, 69 are returning overseas Filipinos, and 26 are still undergoing verification.

The Philippines has once again been classified as a high-risk area for COVID-19 amid a continued increase in cases.

The National Capital Region (NCR) and several other areas have been placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the surge in Delta variant cases.

The ECQ will be in effect over the NCR from August 6 to 20.

The country has so far recorded 1,667,714 cases of COVID-19 including 1,560,106 recoveries and 29,128 deaths.—LDF, GMA News