Malacañang said the public should now stop speculating about President Duterte's health condition, saying his weekly televised appearance is enough evidence that the Chief Executive is in good shape.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after President Duterte slammed on Monday the people spreading rumors that he went to Singapore for medical treatment over the weekend.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said that the people should now stop second-guessing the President's health condition.

"The public should no longer speculate because they have seen him," he said.

Roque said the President's ppearance is enough proof that the President is healthy.

"In evidence, what we refer to as object evidence is the best kind of evidence. The object evidence here is the President himself," he said.

"So I think his appearance, his conduct, his actuation is proof that he is healthy," he added.

The Palace official also said that President Duterte's detractors will have to wait until 2022 for a shot in government.

"I understand that many of our detractors are sad that the President is fine but they will just have to wait until 2022 because the President is healthy and is in control," he said.

According to Roque, President Duterte has been a politician for over three decades but he is still amused that there are many people wishing him ill.

"Seasoned public servant na si itong is Presidente (The President is a seasoned public servant). He's amused that so many people are wishing him ill but he's confident that he still has the support of an overwhelming majority of our people," he said.

Trust the President

Roque asked the public to trust that President Duterte will inform them if he decides to go on a trip.

"He said so. If he leaves, he said he will not make it secret. So let's hold the President to his promise that when he goes abroad, he will inform the people," he said.

Roque said it will be difficult for Duterte to go on a trip abroad in secret because he would have to designate a government caretaker during his absence.

"In other words, going abroad, for the President, is very difficult to be a secret event because there's a designation of a caretaker," he said.

" the people to be informed where he is going, whether it be official or personal. But as the President said, he gains nothing by making it secret," he added.

On Monday, President Duterte said he can go wherever he pleases without using government funds and without keeping it a secret. He added that if he does go on a trip, the people cannot do anything about it.

"Stop this nonsense about me going to Singapore. Kung gusto ko, pupunta ako. Wala kayong pakialam kung gusto ko pumunta (If I want to go there, I will go there and there's nothing you can do about it)," he said.

"Kung gusto ko umalis, kung aalis ako (If I want to leave, I will), I do not have to keep it secret because I will not be using government funds. Hindi ko ugali 'yan (I'm not like that)," he added.

October trip to Hong Kong

However, in October, 2018, Duterte made an unannounced trip to Hong Kong without anyone knowing. Roque insisted that the President was in Davao City but his long-time aide Senator Bong Go told Palace reporters that they were in Hong Kong and showed photos as proof.

Roque and Go denied rumors that President Duterte went to a hospital. However, it was the President himself who admitted that he was at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center for some tests.

Roque went on leave after the two incidents. In a speech, President Duterte revealed that Roque threatened to resign after he was kept in the dark about his whereabouts. Duterte called his bluff and immediately chose a replacement.

"Hindi naman kailangan sabihin ko lahat, eh (I do not have to disclose everything). There are things which are limited to the immediate members of the family," he said.

"Sabi niya, mag-resign siya. Sabi ko, ‘di, sige. Then immediately I – namili na kaagad ako ng replacement (He threatened to resign, I told him to go ahead. Then I immediately picked his replacement)," he added.

In his trip to Bali, Indonesia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders' Meeting in October 2018, it was revealed that chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo was chosen to replace Roque as Palace spokesman.

Roque was eyeing a Senate seat in 2018 but President Duterte crushed his dreams, saying he will not win. The President, instead, offered him to lead the Office of the Press Secretary, an office that Malacañang planned to revive.