Palace: Duterte only slipped, no ‘extraordinary’ problem about his health

President Rodrigo Duterte stops, catches breath mid-SONA: ‘Baka dito ako mamatay’. Screenshot from RTVM youtube live

MANILA, Philippines — There is no “extraordinary” problem about President Rodrigo Duterte’s health when he lost his balance while walking towards the podium of Batasang Pambansa to deliver his final State of the Nation Address (Sona), Malacañang said Tuesday.

“Alam niyo, wala naman po siyang extraordinary na problema. He is who he is, he is a senior citizen at mukhang nadulas lang naman siya kahapon,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview with GMA-7.

(You know what, he has no extraordinary problem. He is who he is, he is a senior citizen and it looks like he just slipped yesterday.)

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Kung ang iniisip ng taumbayan ay yung kanyang kalusugan, parang nadulas lang talaga siya kahapon,” he added.

(I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. If the public is concerned about his health, he really just lost balance yesterday.)

The President also slipped from the podium when he attended the Independence Day rites in June, but Roque said this was just a “misstep.”

During his final Sona, Duterte did not miss to joke about his health, saying he might have contracted COVID-19 and asked for an ambulance in the middle of his speech.

“Hindi na ako maka-pronounce ng mabuti baka meron na ako. May ambulansya ba diyan?” Duterte said.

Towards the end of his nearly three-hour speech, Duterte went as far as joking about possibly dying because he was having a hard time breathing.

EDV