Duterte meets with Cabinet members, spouses; thanks them for job well done


President Duterte expressed his gratitude to all his former and current Cabinet members for helping him run the country in the past six years as he held his last meeting with them in Malacañan on Monday night.

Acting Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag said members of all the Cabinet clusters reported their accomplishments to the President, just like what is being reported during the two-day Duterte Legacy Summit that started Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center.

"It's the last Cabinet meeting of the Duterte administration, 'yung (the) full Cabinet meeting. But it does not mean we will stop working after that," Matibag said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Malacañang photo

Matibag said the President "treated the Cabinet secretaries, including their spouses, to a dinner" before delivering a "relaxing tribute" and "rendering songs" for them.

"He was gracious enough to render some songs... It's like a family celebrating also the victory of the administration," he said. "I repeatedly heard him saying na 'hindi ako nagkamali sa mga pinili ko na miyembro ng gabinete na ginawa talaga ang trabaho (I wasn't wrong in choosing you to become part of my Cabinet as you really did your job).'"

Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar described Duterte as "upbeat" from last night when "he expressed gratitude to past and present Cabinet officials."

"He looks forward to his retirement in Davao City and spending more time with family and his grandchildren," Andanar said.

Andanar said Duterte did not mention if he would still deliver his weekly Talk To The People with one month left in the office, but the Presidential Communications Operations Office is ready to deliver words from the President.