Palace quashes ‘hospital’ rumors, says President ‘fine’
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is “fine,” Malacañang assured the public on Thursday, dismissing rumors that the Chief Executive was rushed to the hospital.
“There is no truth to the rumors that the President was rushed to the hospital. The President is in Davao. There is no truth. It is chismis (rumors). It is fake news,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said during a press briefing in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The President is fine. Although he went to have a regular check-up the night before the SONA (State of the Nation Address). He has not been to any medical facilities since,” he added.
The Palace official said Duterte was expected to grace the 69th Araw ng Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay on Thursday afternoon.
“Please it is in fact a crime to spread this kind of news. There is no truth to these rumors. And he will in fact be here in Ipil to lead the celebration for Araw ng Ipil. So his appearance will belie all these false reports,” Roque said.
On Wednesday evening, Duterte also spoke before a climate change conference in Davao City.
Roque confirmed that Duterte took a “routine medical check up” but was declared in the pink of health by his doctors at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
This was not the first time Duterte’s health was brought into question.
In 2017, the President skipped his first Independence Day rites. Then Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said that he was resting from exhaustion.
Duterte also previously admitted to suffering from daily migraines and Buerger’s disease, which affects blood vessels, can cause extreme pain in severe cases. Left unchecked, it may also lead to skin damage, infection, and even gangrene.
The 73-year-old President also admitted to using an oxygen converter when sleeping.
Malacañang dismissed reports that Duterte suffered a mild stroke in June 2017.
Upon arriving from a recent trip in Seoul, Korea, Duterte shared he vomited on the plane and suffered a migraine attack that kept him from greeting Filipino passengers on that flight.
Malacañang, however, dismissed the ailments as nothing serious.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the public shall be informed of the state of the health of the President in case of serious illness. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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