It’s difficult to push through with this month’s Cabinet meeting with President Duterte, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, because Manila is still under the moderate enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

“Nasa MECQ pa po tayo kaya mahirap na magkaroon ng Cabinet meeting dahil limited tayo to 10 or 10 percent ‘no of the capacity eh marami kaming mga miyembro ng Gabinete (We are in MECQ that’s why it’s difficult to have a Cabinet meeting because we are limited to 10 or 10 percent of the capacity and there’s many of us in the Cabinet),” he explained.

Although some Cabinet officials join the President during his weekly “Talk to the People,” Roque said that they have to follow the protocols of the MECQ.

“So sa ngayon po nakikita ninyo naman na hangga’t maaari iniimbitahan ang maraming mga kalihim para magbigay ng ulat sa kanila, sa taumbayan kung ano iyong ginagawa ng kanilang mga opisina (For now, you can see that as much as possible, we are inviting the Cabinet members to give report to the people what their office has been up to),” Roque added.

The National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) bubble is under the MECQ, the second most restrictive quarantine restriction by the government, until April 30.

NCR Plus is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna, which are all under the MECQ because of the surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

Duterte’s public address was back on the air last week after two weeks of not facing the people. He was joined by some Cabinet members while the others participated via teleconference only because of health and safety protocols.

“So for the time being given the MECQ classification eh ganito po muna siguro ang patakaran (this is the protocol),” said Roque.

The Chief Executive had to postpone his weekly address to the nation purportedly because at least 45 members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) tested positive for COVID-19.

Duterte addresses the public every Monday night and sometimes, every Thursday night, too.