President is okay — communications chief

Metro Manila, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is fine, Malacañang said on Tuesday, Sept. 17, after he was seen wearing a face mask during a sectoral meeting.

“I attended three of his scheduled activities today. Okay naman ang pangulo natin,” Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez told reporters in a message. “Halos sunod-sunod ang events niya ngayon.”

[Translation: Our president is okay. His events have been consecutive.]

Marcos met a number of Cabinet members on Tuesday.

In a Palace briefing, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Marcos was “just under the weather” as someone might have passed the president a bad bug during his birthday celebration.

Herbosa said he saw Marcos wearing a face mask after the meeting and in a casual conversation with one of the secretaries.

“I also saw him later in two other meetings where he delivered a speech and conducted a meeting without use of a face mask,” Herbosa said. “We should not be hastily concluding any diagnosis for anyone who wants to wear a face mask.”

“From my perspective as a physician, the president performed all his duties today and is well and not ‘under the weather’ as earlier surmised,” the health secretary said.

The Constitution states that in case of serious illness of the president, the public shall be informed of the state of his health.