Zubiri says Duterte ‘strong as an ox’

“We saw it yesterday, he is in good spirits,” Zubiri added during an ambush interview at the Senate. (File Photo: Senator Migz Zubiri/Facebook)

MANILA — “The President is strong as an ox,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday, belying reports that President Rodrigo Duterte is suffering from a major health illness.

“We saw it yesterday, he is in good spirits,” Zubiri added during an ambush interview at the Senate.

Zubiri and seven other senators went to meet Duterte in Malacañang on Monday for an emergency meeting over the fate of the coco levy fund bill.

The Majority Leader said Duterte is back to his jovial self when they met him.

“He is in high spirits. He is happy yesterday, cracking a lot of jokes,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri also bared that the President has tested negative for cancer.

Duterte reportedly underwent digestive track procedures on the request of his doctors last week.

Zubiri said while they did not personally ask Duterte about the results of the test, it was Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go who bared the results to them.

“Sabi ni Bong Go the cancer is negative. May polyp growth sa intestines, but it’s benign,” the Senate leader said.

Duterte’s health has been the talk of the town since his unscheduled visit to a private hospital last Wednesday for the tests.

Members of the opposition have been strongly clamoring for Malacañang to release information on Duterte’s true condition.