Did frustration drive Duterte to punch the Palace wall?

Following reports that President Duterte punched the wall of the Malacañang Palace due to his frustration over the ruling of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to acquit two high-profile drug suspects, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that this event might not have really happened at all.

On Friday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa reported that Duterte punched the wall of Malacañang out of anger after learning that the DOJ cleared Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. and Peter Lim off their illegal drugs charge.

“I tell you noong nagalit si Presidente [sinuntok niya 'yung pader], tingnan niyo 'yung kamay niya namaga. (when the President got mad [he punched the wall], look at his hands it was swollen),” Dela Rosa told reporters in Camp Crame.

Dela Rosa was in Malacañang on Tuesday for the joint command conference of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) where the President learned of the ruling.

However, Roque, in an interview over DZMM, said he was not sure if this really did happen because he was with the President the whole day when Duterte was informed of the ruling until Friday morning.

The Palace official also said that the President’s hand was fine until they parted ways.

“Hanggang alas kuwatro po kaninang umaga (sic) magkasama kami ni Presidente, wala pong diperensiya ang kaniyang kamay (I was with the President until early this morning and there was nothing wrong with his hand),” Roque said Friday evening.

“Hindi ko po alam kung talagang totoong nanuntok sa dingding ‘yan. Kasi ang nangyari po, pagkatapos po ng Command Conference hindi na po kami naghiwalay (I do not know if he really did punch the wall because after the Command Conference, I was with him the entire time),” he added.