Duterte ‘perfectly healthy’: Palace

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gives a message after posthumously awarding the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kalasag to the killed soldiers during a ceremony at the Malacañan Palace on September 17, 2019. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte is “perfectly healthy” despite his recent admission of having rare muscle disease, Malacañang said on Monday.

The public need not worry, as the 74-year-old President remains in the pink of health, even though he is facing various health problems, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in an interview with One News PH on Monday night.

“Healthy talaga (He is indeed healthy),” the Palace official said, when asked about the President’s health status.

Pressed further if Duterte is “perfectly healthy,” Panelo responded, “Yes.”

Addressing the Filipino audience in Russia on Oct. 5, Duterte divulged that he has myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that weakens skeletal muscles responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body.

The Chief Executive’s recent revelation that he has a nerve malfunction has prompted renewed public concern about his health.

Panelo downplayed concerns over Duterte’s health, as he noted that the President is strong enough, since he has been suffering from the muscle disorder when he was still a prosecutor.

“Kasi tinanong ko siya doon sa bago niyang sakit na sinasabi niya. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Kailan pa ba iyan?’ [Sabi niya], ‘Fiscal pa ako.’ Matagal na pala kako. Twenty-five years ago pa iyan (I asked him about his supposedly latest health problem. ‘When did you suffer from that?’ He said: ‘When I was a prosecutor,’ I told him, ‘It’s not new since it happened 25 years ago’),” he said.

For Panelo, the President is fine, because myasthenia gravis is “not life-threatening.”

He added that the Chief Executive, who has a habit of making jokes in his public speeches, was serious when he revealed the latest status of his health.

“Hindi naman life-threatening ‘yun (That’s not life-threatening),” Duterte’s spokesman said, referring to myasthenia gravis.

Apart from the muscle disease, Duterte admitted in his previous speeches that he is suffering from Barrett’s esophagus, a potentially serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Buerger’s disease, a rare disease of the arteries and veins in the arms and legs.

He likewise revealed that he is battling with chronic back pains and migraines.

In October last year, the President told the public that the alleged “growth” found in his digestive tract tested negative for cancer.

Despite being transparent about his health condition, Duterte had been accused of undergoing medical procedures like dialysis and chemotherapy that led to his face’s discoloration.

But Panelo merely attributed the dark spots on Duterte’s face to sun exposure.

“Hindi. Malabo yun. At saka si Presidente hindi ba sinasabi niya kaagad yung sakit niya (No. It’s impossible. And the President is outspoken when it comes to his health condition),” he said, when asked if Duterte is undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy.

“Both skin and something [about facial treatment] ‘yun. Kasi kapag inayos mo yata ang skin mo at nainitan ka, may problema ka.

Ganoon yata ang nangyari sa kanya (It has something to do about both skin and facial treatment. When your face is treated by a dermatologist and you get exposed to the sun, you have a problem. That’s what happened to him),” he added.