Duterte to address the nation on Tuesday
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday will address the nation from Davao City, Malacañang said.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement during Monday's virtual Palace briefing. He did not say, however, what the address would be about.
Roque also addressed concerns that the president was looking weak and gloomy during his last public appearance.
"That's not health-related, it's more of an emotional issue," Duterte's spokesman said.
Roque explained that the chief executive took the incident between police and Army troopers in Sulu "very personal," which is why he appeared downtrodden during his visit to military and police officials in Zamboanga City last Friday.
Duterte decided to fly to the city to boost the Army's morale against his doctors’ advice. Like most seniors, the 75-year-old has co-morbidity issues that make him especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
In a speech delivered at Edwin Andrews Air Base, the commander-in-chief urged the military to keep cool heads and to wait for the the National Bureau of Investigation's findings on the incident.
He also promised that the axe would fall on those responsible for the shooting.
Nine police officers who took part in the shooting were sacked from their post and restricted to quarters at the Sulu Police Provincial Office. Jolo police chief Lt. Col. Walter Annayo was relieved two days after the incident.
Aside from the highly publicized police shooting, Duterte sits atop a contracting economy, a spike in national COVID-19 cases, the longest community quarantine in the world, and a widely criticized anti-terrorism law which is now being challenged at the Supreme Court level, among other things. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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