President Marcos is well and is not under the weather, Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa clarified on Tuesday afternoon.
Herbosa made the clarification after he was quoted saying that Marcos was just feeling under the weather after the Chief Executive was seen wearing a facemask during a sectoral meeting in Malacañan.
The Health chief said Marcos only opted to wear a face mask while he was attending to his engagements of the day, which included two meetings, a courtesy call, and an event in the afternoon.
"I was with the President the whole day as he conducted two meetings in the morning. I only saw him wear a face mask after the meeting and in a casual conversation with one of the secretaries after the meeting. I also saw him later in two other meetings where he delivered a speech and conducted a meeting without use of a face mask," Herbosa said in a statement on Sept. 17.
"We should not be hastily concluding any diagnosis for anyone who wants to wear a face mask. From my perspective as a Physician, the president performed all his duties today and is well and not 'under the weather' as earlier surmised," he added.
In one of the photographs taken during the sectoral meeting on Tuesday morning, Marcos was seen wearing a facemask as he was entering the State Dining Room inside the Palace.
In a press briefing following the sectoral meeting, Herbosa was asked if anything was ailing the President, which he dismissed and clarified that he was just feeling unwell.
He added that it must have been due to his birthday engagements last week.
"No, he just said he's under the weather. So, I supposed, it was his birthday last week, so, sa dami ng bumati sa kanya (with the number of people who greeted him), I'm sure someone passed him a bad bug," Herbosa then said.
Marcos celebrated his 67th birthday last Friday, Sept. 13. He celebrated his special by visiting Nueva Ecija to distribute assistance to farmers. According to the Presidential Communications Office, Marcos capped his birthday with a party and a surprise musical performance organized by his friends in a hotel in Pasay City on Friday night.