President Rodrigo Duterte missed a Palace function on Wednesday, and his spokesman Harry Roque said he only took some private time.
We soon learned that the President took some private time indeed—at a private hospital to undergo some tests. It was Mr. Duterte himself who provided this information, adding that if he had stage 3 cancer, he would refuse treatment altogether.
Feeling the sting of being kept out of the loop, Roque now says he will use the weekend to ponder his options. “I will consider the fact that in this capacity as a spokesperson I must know everything about the President.”
He added he may no longer be effective as a spokesman after he was kept in the dark about Mr. Duterte’s visit to the hospital. “Now people think I lied. I’m telling the nation I did not.”
Then again, this could only be a convenient excuse for Roque to step down because he is thinking of running for public office—despite his boss’ apparent lack of confidence in his ability to win a Senate seat and despite the offer of another government post.
The past few months have shown us how difficult and tricky it is to speak for the President, especially if it is somebody as unpredictable as Mr. Duterte. How many times has the public cringed in hearing Roque attempt to make sense of the President’s words and put his statements “in the proper context?”
We agree with Roque on one thing. That he was kept in the dark speaks volumes about the confidence he enjoys from his boss.
The next few days will be crucial; Mr. Duterte needs to be up front with the people about his plans, his views, and his health most of all. The person who will speak for him has to be able to clarify his message—not massage, twist or modify it to confound the people even further.