Amidst his health being the talk of the town, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, December 6, revealed that he went to a hospital to take a blood test.
“Galing [ako] sa ospital. Kinunan ako ng dugo. ‘Yang media magtatanong [na] naman ng sakit ko (I went from the hospital. I had a blood transfusion. The media will then again ask if I have illness),” Duterte said during the 85th anniversary celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Pasay City.
The President then removed a cotton wool from his arm where the blood sample was withdrawn, adding,”‘Yan. May dugo konti (There. There is still some blood on it).“
Talking about his hospital visit in a lighthearted manner, Duterte jested that when the syringe was injected to him, it was not blood that came out from his body but “air.”
Duterte did not let the people know the purpose of the blood test, but the Presidential Spokesperson said there is nothing to worry about the President’s health as the blood test he took was part of his regular medical checkup.
The 73-year-old Chief Executive, in October, admitted in a speech before members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) that he went to a hospital for some medical tests.
[READ: Duterte admits going to hospital for some tests]
During that time, Duterte was not yet certain about the state of his health but said he will tell everyone if he has cancer.
A few days later, the President, in a Cabinet meeting, delivered a good news as he said the medical test he underwent resulted negative for cancer.
[READ: Duterte negative for cancer — Año]
Stated in Section 12 of Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, “In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health. The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the President during such illness.”
Malacañang on Monday assured the public that Duterte will release a medical bulletin about his health “in case of serious illness,” after some senatorial aspirants, during CNN Philippines’ senatorial forum, agreed that the President should authorize the issuance of medical bulletins regarding his health.