Trillanes on Duterte’s health: Weeds don’t die easily

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV believes President Rodrigo Duterte still has long to live despite speculations about his health.

“Sa akin habang nakikita ko sya, ang presumption dyan ay malusog at kaya nyang gampanan yung kanyang tungkulin. So hindi ako gaanong nakatutok dyan,” Trillanes said at a regular forum in the Senate on Thursday. (As long as I see him, I presume he’s healthy and can do his job. So, I don’t give much attention to that.)

“At alam nyo may kasabihan, yung mga masamang damo, hindi agad namamatay. So I believe mahaba-haba pa ang buhay ni President Duterte,” he said. (There is a saying: Weeds don’t die easily. So, I believe President Duterte will still live long.)

The senator made the remark when asked about Duterte’s statement that the opposition was not concerned about his health but was only interested about his death.

READ: Duterte: Critics interested in my death, not my health

But Trillanes, an opposition member, insisted that the public has the right to know the truth about the President’s health condition.

“Palagay ko yung buong bansa ay dapat maging interesado sa tunay na kalagayan ng kalusugan ng ating Pangulo hindi dahil sa gustong mamatay sya o kung ano man, kung hindi yan ay nakasaad sa Saligang Batas,” he said. (I think the entire nation should be interested in the real state of our President’s health, not because they want him to die but because it’s in the Constitution.)

Some opposition senators earlier urged Duterte to reveal his medical condition after he disappeared from the public eye for five consecutive days. The President later explained that he just went on a secret trip to Mindanao.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV says President Rodrigo Duterte will still have long to live since ‘weeds don’t die easily.’ INQUIRER FILES

Trillanes also dismissed Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s claim that the malicious speculations about Duterte’s health was just part of the opposition’s destabilization efforts.

“Siguro at this point in time wala na sigurong naniniwala kay Secretary Aguirre. He just keeps on saying stupid things at nakakalungkot na ito nga, secretary of Justice sya, wala syang sinasabing maayos,” the senator said. (At this point, I think nobody believes Secretary Aguirre. He just keeps saying stupid things. And it’s sad, he is the secretary of Justice but he has not said anything coherent.)

Trillanes added, “Sabi ko nga consistent naman sya kasi yung Presidente nya mismo ay ganun din.” (As I said, he is only being consistent because his President is also like that.)

Aguirre earlier linked Trillanes and other opposition members to the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City. CBB