President Rodrigo Duterte hosted a meeting for members of the House of Representatives in Malacañang on Tuesday night.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles on Wednesday confirmed the meeting, saying it was an “informal and relaxed gathering” with lawmakers, many of whom are friends of the President.
“With active COVID-19 cases now on a steady decline and now that we are feeling the positive impact of the government’s vaccination, we expect the President to join similar gatherings with friends and allies in the future.”
“It was an informal and relaxed gathering with lawmakers, many of whom are friends of the President dating back to his days as mayor of Davao City,” said Nograles in a statement.
“It was, for the President, an opportunity to see friends he had not personally seen since the onset of the pandemic due to the restrictions that had been put in place,” he added.
Duterte is expected to join more similar gatherings with “friends and allies” considering the steady decline of COVID-19 cases, Nograles added.
“With active COVID-19 cases now on a steady decline and now that we are feeling the positive impact of the government’s vaccination, we expect the President to join similar gatherings with friends and allies in the future,” he said.
Nograles did not identify the lawmakers who met with President Duterte at the Palace.
