Update
“I am alive.”
So said President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night amid murmurs that he was in a state of coma.
Special Assistant Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go posted on Facebook a livestream of the President having dinner with a woman in an undisclosed location.
Contrary to reports, Duterte described himself as “fairly healthy.”
Communist Party of the Philippine founding chairman Joma Sison, in a Facebook post earlier, claimed Duterte was in a coma, citing unverified reports.
The President directly addressed Sison in the video.
“Joma, ang wish ko sa buhay, maski wala ka nang silbi sa mundong ito, mabubuhay ka pa rin ng mga 1,000 years para ikot ng ikot ka na dito sa mundo,” he said.
“I’m alive – fairly healthy and I’m having dinner with a beautiful lady from Davao…”
“OK pa naman ako. Sabi nila comatose. How can you be comatose with a beautiful lady…,” the President said.
Duterte then shot back at Sison, saying the latter was the one who was comatose and sick.
In fact, he said, the Netherlands has been complaining that Sison has been in and out of a hospital without paying bills.
“You’re not paying and you’re abusing the hospitality of the Netherlands,” Duterte said.
The President urged Sison to just come back to the Philippines as he even offered to bring him to “Bilibid.”
“If you think that you are sick, come home and I will bring you to the place–it’s called Bilibid. Pero doon we will provide you with a space—a bed…plenty to keep you company,” Duterte added.