President Duterte will reveal the state of his health if it is a serious cause for public concern, Malacañang reassured yesterday, amid rumors that the Chief Executive suffered cardiac arrest over the weekend.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo allayed fears that Duterte was rushed to a private hospital last Sunday, saying the President was only out of the public eye for a week to finish signing papers.
“Let me assure the nation that if there is anything wrong with the President’s health, serious enough to be of our concern, he will tell us and he said so himself many times over,” Panelo said.
He said Duterte spent his weekend at the Bahay Pagbabago, formerly called Bahay Pangarap, the President’s residence in Malacañang. “Nandun lang siya sa Bahay Pagbabago signing papers. I talked to him yesterday. His voice was very strong.Wala, natawa lang,” Panelo said.
He noted that whenever the President does not have public engagements, he is most likely working and would rather not get disturbed.
“Ayaw ng naiistorbo’ yun kasi pag nasa labas siya, ang daming gustong makausap sa kanya,” Panelo said. “Eh napakabait niyang tao, di naman tumatanggi so ang focus sa kaniyang signing papers, reading documents, memo di niya magawa, kaya siguro he decides to stay put,” he added.
Panelo, however, said Duterte neither confirmed nor denied having visited a private hospital for a routine checkup or any other purpose and asked media to draw their own conclusions.
He said for the President, rumors about suffering cardiac arrest were not a “serious matter.”
“Kasi kung serious’ yun he would always tell the public about it. It started as a chismis, e di pinabayaan na lang,” Panelo said.
The Presidential spokesperson thanked the public for being concerned about the President’s health.
“Thank you for the concern, I’m sure many people were concerned kahit chismis lang,” Panelo said. (Argyll Geducos and PNA)