By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has been away from the public eye in recent days since he is busy with a lot of paperwork and private meetings, Malacañang said Thursday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo assured the public that the President remained a “workaholic” leader after Duterte dropped out of sight in the past few days.
"The President is busy with paperwork, busy with engagements. The President is a workaholic," he said in Filipino during a Palace press briefing, when asked about the President's whereabouts.
"He has so many private meetings and courtesy calls," he added.
Panelo also said the President spends a lot of time reading documents before affixing his signature.
"He told me last night that he has a lot of paperwork. The problem with lawyers like us is we read the documents before signing it. That's what he said, 'It takes time reading before I sign it.' That's why it takes too long," he said.
There has been no public engagement listed in the President's schedule since the start of the week.
Duterte however had a few private engagements last weekend, such as visiting the wake of late Davao City Treasurer Erwin Alparaque as well as the wake of infant Eren Crisologo in Davao City last Sunday as well as attending a gathering hosted by celebrity couple Robin Padilla and Mariel Padilla last Friday.
Duterte's last public activity was attending the 118th Police Service anniversary celebration his Camp Crame in Quezon City last Friday.