Duterte medical info strictly confidential unless…
President Rodrigo Duterte AP PHOTO/Aaron Favila, File
As reports surfaced that President Rodrigo Duterte has told his Cabinet members that he doesn’t have cancer, Malacañang on Tuesday insisted for confidentiality of the Chief Executive’s medical information.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque stressed that Duterte opted not to waive the confidentiality of his health condition.
However, he said the President will divulge to the public his condition in case of serious illness as mandated by the Constitution.
“There is no consensus as to what extent his condition will be divulged, but we will abide by the provision of the Constitution,” he said.
“What I can say is that the decision made was that unless the President has a serious illness, he would like to keep his medical condition private and confidential,” Roque said, adding that the public should just wait for the President’s disclosure.
The pronouncement came after Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año said that Mr. Duterte has announced during Monday’s Cabinet meeting that results of his medical check-up came back negative of cancer.
Digestive tract abnormality
Duterte had said in a speech that he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago but his doctor was advised last week to repeat the tests. Both tests aim to diagnose any abnormality in the digestive tract and colon.
“I don’t know where I’m now physically but I have to wait for that. But I would tell you if it’s cancer, it’s cancer,” the 73-year-old Duterte said to a Philippine Military Academy alumni group and top security officials.
Duterte added that “if it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong the agony in this office or anywhere.”
Rumors have swirled for some time that Duterte might have a serious illness. Duterte and his aides, however, repeatedly said he was generally fit although he had grown tired of politics after serving for about 40 years in different government posts.
“I really don’t want it because I’m tired and I know that time’s up for me,” Duterte said, adding that physical limitations usually come at around age 70.
“I can’t say now if I really got hit or not,” he said, noting that he has other illnesses such as Barrett’s esophagus, a condition thought to be caused by stomach acid washing up into the esophagus.
He has said in the past that he has sustained other ailments as a result of a motorcycle accident and drinking. “I did not stop drinking but no more, regret is like that. It always comes late. So it got worse,” he said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters earlier Thursday that Duterte is fine but will inform the public if he has a serious ailment as required by the constitution. “The president is a lawyer. He will inform and conform with the constitution if there’s a serious health ailment, but there is none,” Roque said.
Roque posted on his Facebook account a video of Duterte arriving Thursday for a conference at the presidential palace with top military and police officials to show that the president was at work.
Roque and another key presidential aide, Christopher Go, made the assurance after rumors circulated that Duterte missed a ceremony Wednesday because he was hospitalized.
Go denied the rumors and said Duterte skipped the event because he was tired from a provincial trip the day before and opted to go to a private meeting and have some personal time. With a report from AP /kga
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