Duterte mocks Alejano, plays with Magdalo health scare claim

President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano (right). INQUIRER FILES

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday mocked the claims of Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano that his trip to Israel this September was for health reasons.

“Eh kung operahan nila ang utak ko doon eh di mas maganda. Walang problema,” Duterte said in jest during a media interview at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

“Eh ‘di ipakuha ko nalang ‘yung ano ko dumi, i-reserba ko sa kanya,” he said, referring to Alejano.

Duterte went on and made light of the never-ending speculation that he was seriously ill.

“Sa awa ng Diyos po, kaya ko pang umibig,” he said.

But the President quickly turned serious and said his trip to Israel from Sept. 2 to 5 was a “gift” to retiring military and police officials.

“Now I would be going there with some of the retiring military and police officers. Marami kami. That is my gift to them for serving the country well,” he said.

The President said he would also like to meet the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) there.

“I’m there because of the 28,000 Filipinos. And it’s getting hotter there,” he said.

Over the weekend, Alejano claimed that Duterte’s trip to Israel was to seek medical treatment and not to meet OFWs there.

Speculations that the President was ill surfaced after exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison claimed that Duterte went into a state of coma. /cbb, je