PRRD advised to rest until weekend: Go

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Malacañan Palace on October 11, 2019. ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte was advised to rest and take pain medications following the pain he has been experiencing on the spinal pelvic area of his body, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said on Wednesday.

Go did not provide much detail on the President’s medical checkup or which hospital he visited at dawn Wednesday.

However, he admitted that Duterte was advised to rest until the weekend and to avoid walking too much.

The former aide said the President was also given pain killers for his “muscle spasms” and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

“May mga medisina na dapat at kailangan po magpahinga ang Pangulo (The President has to take some medicines and needs to rest). He was advised to rest,” Go said in an interview over PTV-4.

“Sakit n’ya ngayon, muscle spasm lang: Ang kinabahala namin at first kung tinamaan ang kanyang spine since it was unbearable pain nga po ang nararamdaman niya kahapon pero salamat po sa Panginoon at wala naman pong dapat ikabahala (His diagnosis now is just muscle spasms. What we were worried about at first is if his spine was injured since he experienced unbearable pain yesterday but thank God there is no cause for concern),” he added.

Go also said Duterte’s minor motorcycle accident last week was “most likely” the cause of his back pain since he had difficulty bending.

He said the President started complaining about back pain during his flight to Japan and he was asked to purchase a cane while there.

“Papunta pa yata ng Japan, pero mas grabe nung nasa Japan na. Siguro sa lamig din siguro (I think the pain started when he was on his way to Japan but it worsened when we reached Japan. Perhaps it’s because of the cold weather),” Go said.

Meanwhile, Go reassured the public that Duterte’s medical condition is no cause for concern.

“Ako na po ang maga-assure sa inyo (I can assure you) nothing to worry, purely muscle spasms po yun at kailangan lang po niya ng pahinga ng ating Pangulo (and all the President needs is rest),” Go said.

Go said Duterte will be welcoming Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chuanhua on Thursday despite being advised to rest.

“Darating ang Vice Premier ng China tomorrow, haharapin niya ito. Kaya naman (The Vice Premier of China is arriving tomorrow, the President will face him. I think he can manage),” Go said.

“Alam mo si Pangulo, kahit na may nararamdamang sakit talagang magtatrabaho, tatayo yan, mataas ang threshold niya sa sakit (You know the President, even if he feels ill, he continues to work, he’ll get up, he has a high threshold for pain),” he added.

Duterte had to cut short his fourth official visit to Japan after complaining of unbearable back pain.

However, the President was still able to attend the historic enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

He was represented by his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte of Davao City, at the banquet for the celebration of Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday.