In order to reassure the public, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that his cold and cough would not keep him from fulfilling his duties.
While speaking yesterday at the 2024 Outstanding Government Workers Awards in Malacañang, Marcos paused to blow his nose but soon addressed his health. “I’m sorry, I seem to have caught what many others have—a cough and cold—but it will not affect my work,” he said.
The President initially appeared to be “under the weather,” but Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa later retracted his statement.
“As a doctor, I can confirm the President carried out all his responsibilities today,” Herbosa clarified during a press briefing, adding, “Wearing a mask doesn’t necessarily mean someone is unwell.”
After clarifying that Marcos is OK, he had originally suggested that the President might be feeling a little strange, probably from his recent birthday celebrations. On Friday, the President celebrated his 67th birthday.
