Philippines VP visits refugees fleeing fighting
BALO- I, Philippines: The vice-president of the Philippines expressed hope yesterday for a swift end to an urban siege by Islamist rebels, and offered support to displaced civilians during a visit normally conducted by a president not seen in public for six days.
The trip by Leni Robredo to an evacuation centre in Balo-i for residents who escaped a monthlong conflict in nearby Marawi City adds to speculation about the health of 72-year- old President Rodrigo Duterte, whose absence this month from the public eye is the longest since he took office a year ago.
Known for a packed public schedule and marathon speeches several times a day, Duterte’s disappearances during what has been the biggest crisis of his presidency will add to frequent rumours he is in poor health, which his office denies.
Robredo made no mention of Duterte during her visit, when she said she hoped life for the nearly 250,000 people displaced by fighting between troops and rebels allied with the Islamic State group could soon return to normal.
“All of us are hoping that the fighting will soon end so the people can go back to their respective homes,” she told reporters.
“The government has been doing everything that we can. We can only hope that this will end soon.”
Duterte’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on his lengthy absence.
Salvador Panelo, a longtime friend of Duterte’s and his top legal advisor, said the president was as ‘strong as a bull’ and would attend a public event and meet cabinet members on Tuesday.
Duterte was last seen on June 20 in two cities close to Marawi, when he met soldiers and evacuees. That followed a three- day absence after a speech in which he said his health was “immaterial”, amid raised eyebrows about his failure to show in public for Independence Day on June 12.
His office has said he has been experiencing fatigue, and his aide Christopher “Bong” Go on June 15 posted images on social media of Duterte signing documents, and standing in front of a television showing a news bulletin.
Fighting resumed in Marawi yesterday, a day after a unilateral truce was declared by the military for eight hours to mark the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday and try to rescue civilians trapped in the conflict zone.