The Palace encouraged the public anew to continue to observe and strictly practice the minimum public health standards to protect themselves and others from the virus and slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Had the Philippine government not acted as it did at the start of the first reported local transmissions of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there would have been more cases and deaths than what we have now, according to the Palace.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte called for a cohesive ASEAN response to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 36th ASEAN Summit, held today, June 26, via video conferencing.

The Palace on Thursday, June 25, said that government intervention in Cebu City is currently underway as members of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) recently met to discuss the city’s current COVID-19 situation.

The Palace reiterates, on June 22, the new assignment of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu to oversee government’s COVID-19 response in Cebu.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. on Monday, June 22, said that the government’s strategy in fighting the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has always been anchored on science and hard data in response to criticism that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) used fear factor to combat the pandemic.

The Palace is not in favor of the call to delay the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act as called for by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PHilHealth) during a joint congressional committees hearing on the UHC law.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has approved last night, June 15, the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the classification of provinces and cities from June 16 to June 30.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his Talk to the People Address on June 15, placed Cebu City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting June 16.

The Palace on Monday, June 15, maintains its stand on libel, saying that it acknowledges the Supreme Court’s ruling that “libel is not a constitutionally protected speech and that the government has an obligation to protect private individuals from defamation.”