President Rodrigo Duterte will mark his 75th birthday on Saturday sans any family member and friends as he is unable to fly home to Davao City on his special day.
Col. Jesus Durante Jr., chief of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), said the President was expected to stay in Malaca帽ang amid the ongoing Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
鈥淪o far, he will just stay here. No guests, since the family members are all in Davao City,鈥� said Durante on Friday.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo remarked that the President鈥檚 special day was amid 鈥渇oreboding and grim circumstances鈥� that threaten to throw the country in 鈥渢he precipice of annihilation.鈥�
Self-quarantine
Panelo expressed his wishes for Mr. Duterte鈥檚 longevity and continued good health and guidance, as he 鈥渟afely navigates our people through the rampaging waves of this treacherous ocean of a dreadful disease.鈥�
Mr. Duterte will observe a self-quarantine as he marks his 75th birthday on Saturday inside the Malaca帽ang complex upon the advice of his physicians and the PSG, Panelo said.
鈥淧RRD (Mr. Duterte) will quarantine himself on his birthday tomorrow following the advice of the PSG as well as doctors for his protection following his exposure to some officials who themselves have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 victim,鈥� Panelo said in a statement.
He reassured that Mr. Duterte would continue with his work while under quarantine.
鈥淗is only birthday wish is for our countrymen to stay home and the total eradication of the coronavirus,鈥� Panelo added.
On March 16, Mr. Duterte placed Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine and restricted all forms of travel and public transport.
Keep it simple
Earlier this week, he signed Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which declares a state of national emergency and gives him additional powers for the government鈥檚 COVID-19 response.
In past years, the President has shunned celebrating his birthday, saying he preferred to keep it simple by spending it with his family and grandchildren.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, quipped that Cabinet officials would just have to blow a 鈥渧irtual birthday cake鈥� to mark Mr. Duterte鈥檚 birthday.
This was because a handful of Cabinet members decided to go on self-quarantine after being exposed to a lawmaker who tested positive for COVID-19.
鈥淲e鈥檒l just send our virtual birthday greetings to the President. We really need his leadership in these times. Our birthday gift to him is to defeat COVID-19,鈥� Nograles said over state-run PTV 4.