Palace: President transparent about his health

Amid calls for President Duterte to release medical bulletins on his health condition, Malacañang yesterday said the chief executive was already “extremely transparent” about his health and was energetic enough to keep up with a grueling schedule that “sometimes, it takes God to stop him.”

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Mr. Duterte was already keeping the public updated about his health.

“He’s very, very transparent about what he takes, what he has stopped and when he does it. This is where we have the benefit of an extremely transparent President. He keeps us updated,” Abella told a press briefing.

When pressed on the issuance of an official medical bulletin on the President’s health, which would be harder to take back or disown, Abella replied: “But what’s the point? What do you trust, the paper or his actions?”

He went on to tell reporters that they should take the President “seriously, but not literally.”

But the things that the 71-year-old Mr. Duterte are going through are part of the “wear and tear” of someone his age, he said.

“Give him a break,” he added.

On Saturday, Mr. Duterte chided the media for believing his story about his supposed illness.

“I said I was sick, and the immediate headline was ‘Duterte will die.’ Fools. Hoy, that’s just a story and you believe it,” he had said during the birthday party of Sen. Manny Pacquiao. —LEILA B. SALAVERRIA