MANILA – Malacañang stated on Wednesday that given the decline in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections, President Rodrigo Duterte might meet with “friends and allies” more frequently in the future.
The Covid-19 crisis and the country’s high immunization turnout allow Duterte to catch up with his allies, according to Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
“With active Covid-19 cases now on a steady decline and now that we are feeling the positive impact of the government’s vaccination, we expect the President to join similar gatherings with friends and allies in the future,” Nograles said in a press statement.
Nograles made the statement while confirming that Duterte attended an “informal and relaxed” meeting with his allied lawmakers on Tuesday night at Malacañang Palace in Manila.
However, Nograles did not go into detail about Duterte’s meeting with various lawmakers.
“It was an informal and relaxed gathering with lawmakers, many of whom are friends of the President dating back to his days as mayor of Davao City,” he said.
According to Nograles, Duterte simply wants to use the opportunity to meet with his allies and make up for lost time due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“It was, for the President, an opportunity to see friends he had not personally seen since the onset of the pandemic due to the restrictions that had been put in place,” he said.
House Deputy Speaker Michael Romero said in a separate statement that Duterte hosted a “casual dinner” for more than 100 congressmen and congresswomen.
According to Romero, Duterte thanked the 18th Congress in his “unscripted speech” for “all the legislative assistance” it has provided to his administration.
“In return, leaders of the House led by Speaker LAV (Lord Allan Velasco) thanked the President for all the programs he has coursed through the various representatives of the House,” he said.
