Palace still won’t release Duterte’s medical report: ‘He just needed rest’

President Rodrigo Duterte. (INQUIRER.net file photo)

MANILA, Philippines—Amid the renewed speculations about President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged deteriorating health, Malacañang on Monday insisted that it will not release the President’s medical bulletin.

“Nagpahinga lang medical report na agad? ‘Pag serious illness lang eh hindi naman,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Over the weekend, speculations about Duterte’s health resurfaced after he skipped an event in Palo, Leyte last Friday because he was “not feeling well.”

The buzz prompted his partner Honeylet Avanceña to post a series of Facebook videos of Duterte mocking those who believed that he is seriously ill.

READ: Duterte on rumored death: ‘Please pray for the eternal repose of my soul’

“Social media was buzzing with so many speculations. So she [Avanceña] felt it was necessary para matapos na agad ‘yung tsimis,” Panelo said.

Recently, the President has skipped several public engagements, triggering the resurgence of rumors about his alleged declining well-being.

READ: Duterte not ‘feeling well,’ skips Leyte event

But the Palace has repeatedly assured the public that the President has no serious illness. Under the Constitution, the public must be informed of the President’s health in case of serious illness.

Panelo, who is also Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said that the Palace won’t take legal action against those who peddled false news about the President’s health.

“Ordinaryo na ‘yun eh we’re used to that anyway, so let it be,” he said, adding that majority of Filipinos appear to be unaffected by the rumors.

“Matagal na kinakalat na ‘yan, wala na ngang naniniwala e tinatawanan na lang,” he added.

The Palace official, quoting Duterte’s former aide Bong Go, noted that Duterte has a “slight fever” last Friday which caused his absence in the Leyte event.

“Sabi ni Bong Go may slight fever so sinat lang siguro. He wanted to make sure na ‘di na lalala kaya nagpahinga na lang siya,” Panelo said. /je