Being grumpy most of the time is not good for anyone since it brings stress and a host of other health issues, all the more if you are the country’s president.
Last Monday, President Duterte was riled up about the death penalty and even said, if it were up to him, he would execute five to six convicts on a daily basis.
Earlier, the President said the United States should prepare to pack up and leave the Philippines since the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) would be cancelled.
He cursed again at the US for the decision of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Board to defer the selection of the Philippines as a recipient of a multi-million dollar development grant due to issues on rule of law and civil liberties.
The Chief Executive also mentioned the US State Department’s cancellation of a firearms sale.
Duterte even dared the US government to go through the process of filing a human rights complaint against him with the United Nations over his ongoing war against illegal drugs. If there would be a result and his attention was called, the President said he was willing to talk.
He cited that even during his term as mayor of Davao City, he was accused by the US of sanctioning the killings of criminals supposedly carried out by the vigilante group known as the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
Duterte should accept the fact that he is not getting any younger. All this anger inside him will not bring him good results.
People are already concerned over his health and some are already demanding that he should release his medical records. This was after the President said he might not live long enough to finish his term.
In a recent forum with businessmen, he even enumerated his ailments which included back pains, daily migraines and Buerger’s disease which is the inflammation and thrombosis in small and medium-sized blood vessels.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said that since the issue on his health already came out, the public should be informed on the real status of the President’s health and he should release his medical records.
Firing Line agrees that the decision on whether or not to make public his health records rests totally on Duterte.
But if there is a minute possibility that he would not be around to finish his term in 2022 and fulfill the people’s mandate, then Duterte has some explaining to do, especially to those who put their trust in him and voted for him.
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SHORT BURSTS. To all my spies and readers out there: Merry Christmas! For comments or reactions, email [email protected] or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at http://www.tempo.com.ph/category/opinion/firing-line/ (Robert B. Roque, Jr.)