Duterte shakes hands at Davao event apparently with no pain

President Rodrigo Duterte shows his hands with no injury in this photo credited to his younger brother Benjamin Duterte and posted on some pro-Duterte social media pages. The photos were supposedly taken on Saturday, March 17, 2018.

DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday showed no pain on Saturday as adoring individuals shook hands with him or grabbed his hands during the opening of the Organic and Natural Expo (ONE) Mindanao at SMX Convention Center here.

Earlier, Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police, said one of Duterte’s hands got swollen after he punched a wall in Malacañang out of frustration over the dismissal of the raps against Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim and other suspected drug personalities.

On Friday, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go confirmed that Duterte’s hand had become a bit swollen.

But Go said he was unsure whether it was because the president punched a wall.

Go said it could be from signing a lot of documents or possibly similar to the situation when he was mayor here “that his hands would swell for hitting people such as thieves.”

But on Saturday, Duterte gamely shook hands with exhibitors and other individuals present at the organic and natural Expo here, which showcased organic and natural food products and ingredients, as well as indigenous fibers and woven cloth from more than 200 food producers, processors and entrepreneurs from all over Mindanao.

The expo was organized by the Department of Agriculture.

At almost the same time, pro-Duterte social media pages posted a photo of Duterte holding his hands close to the camera. The photos were allegedly taken Friday night.

The photos were credited to Duterte’s younger brother, Benjamin, who was his private secretary when he was mayor here.

The photos showed that Duterte’s fists were not swollen. /atm