Malacañang is considering holding a live virtual press briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte amid speculation about his health and prolonged stay in Davao City.

“We’re talking about it,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday, August 27, in a Palace press conference.

If the Duterte media interview pushes through, it would be the Chief Executive’s first live public interaction with persons outside of his Cabinet and select lawmakers in months.

The last time Duterte responded to reporters’ questions was over 5 months ago, on March 9, before the start of pandemic-related lockdowns.

Roque said the press conference would likely be similar to his virtual press briefings, which have been held through videoconferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype.

“Let’s see first if the press briefing will take place, but if it does, it will have to be similar to what we’re having right now,” said Roque.

Duterte ‘consulted’ on speech edits

It’s been a month since the public has seen Duterte make a live appearance. All his speeches after his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 were edited and aired hours after he actually delivered them.

This is in stark contrast to the early months of the pandemic and post-pandemic when his long speeches would be aired live and mostly without any changes.

Asked what prompted the change and if Duterte made the call to cut out portions of his speech, Roque said, “The President is always consulted.”

“We’re editing it because it’s not just an address to the nation, it’s also a meeting with select members of the Cabinet and we edit out the portions which are not for public consumption because, as I said, you cannot make good policy just on the basis that they are popular policies so that’s why there is executive privilege,” added the spokesman.

But this isn’t true for at least one edited speech – Duterte’s infamous speech in Sulu on July 13. The address was not intertwined with any confidential meeting with other officials, as is evident from the complete audio obtained by Rappler. Yet Malacañang edited out portions where the President mentioned ABS-CBN and Rappler.

At the time, ABS-CBN’s application for a new franchise had just been rejected by the House of Representatives, dominated by Duterte’s allies. Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa had been convicted of cyber libel a month before.

No more official schedule sent to media

Ever since the start of lockdowns in March, the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) has also not been sent Duterte’s official schedule in advance.

The MPC, a group of reporters with accreditation to cover the Office of the President and its attached agencies, used to receive such information regularly from the Presidential Communications Operations Office. The advisories would typically be sent a day or more ahead of Duterte’s events.

However, during the quarantine period, reporters are only informed in advance of Duterte’s meetings with coronavirus task force officials and his messages to the nation.

But Roque, instead of responding to this concern, insisted that the Palace never releases information on Duterte’s activities to reporters.

“We have never released that. That’s always been confidential. In fact, I receive a copy of the schedule and there’s always a warning there that it’s considered as a secret information,” said Roque.

Duterte’s private meetings and personal activities have never been included in official schedules released to media. However, his official activities, like meetings with government officials and groups, were usually included, with instructions that reporters could use the information, not for publication, but for planning purposes.

One possible reason why no schedules are sent out is because Duterte’s own freedom of movement, and thus his social schedule, has been severely limited by the pandemic.

The Presidential Security Group keeps a close watch on what events he can attend. With Duterte’s schedule apparently emptied of public engagements, Roque has previously said the President keeps busy with reading and signing government documents.

The spokesman even said that when he flew to Davao City to attend the August 24 meeting with Duterte, stacks of documents for the President to peruse accompanied him on the plane.

The uncertainty surrounding Duterte’s whereabouts and health condition is fueled by the President himself. Just last Monday, August 24, he casually admitted that his doctor had once warned him that his Barrett’s Esophagus is so severe that it was “nearing stage 1 cancer.” – Rappler.com