Three years into the presidency, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo wants President Rodrigo Duterte to not spend too much of time attending to all his activities.

“I think he should not be spending too much time attending to all his activities at the sacrifice of his health. He’s working too hard, and we told him so. ‘Mr. President take a vacation, at least two weeks.’ (but) he said, ‘How can I go on a vacation, my work is loaded’,” Panelo said in an ambush interview on Friday.

Panelo said Duterte always feels tired and lacks sleep because of his full-packed schedule and work load ''He’s always moving,” said Panelo.

Panelo said this is what all the cabinet members want for Duterte as they cannot catch up with his work schedule.

“He’s hardworking. We can hardly catch up with his work schedule,” he said.

In terms of the president’s health, Panelo said Duterte is healthy and does not feel burned out.

“He’s workaholic because he is the only president who visits everyone,” he added.

“If I were with the protocol, I’ll pace his work schedule,” said Panelo.

Duterte’s health has always been an issue. Once the public is not able to have a glimpse of him for a week, speculations about his fitness arise.

“He just feels tired but he never complains. That’s why he said ‘It’s hard to be a president, I don’t want to run. It’s a thankless job. You are doing everything but you are being cursed at and maligned.’ But he said, ‘I’m already here… I will just finish this’,” Panelo recalled. Ella Dionisio/DMS