Amidst the rumor of Duterte coma, Malacañang insists that no medical bulletins are needed

& # 39; STRONGLY AS HORSE & # 39 ;. President Rodrigo Duterte addresses his speech at the Lex Talionis Fraternitas National Convention at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City on August 18, 2018. Malacañang photo

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (UPDATED) – Malacañang reduced the allegation of communist leader Jose Maria Sison that President Rodrigo Duterte was in a coma and said the Chief Executive was healthy and "as strong as a horse & # 39; remains.

"The president is well and good in Davao at the Kadayawan Festival," said President Roots Monday, August 20.

The day before, Sison posted on Facebook that he received unverified reports that Duterte was in a coma on Sunday, August 19, after attending his last public event on Saturday, August 18, in an event of his law school fraternity Lex Talionis in Davao City appearance.

Sison also commented on the unusual "darkness" of Duterte & # 39; s face and so-called "unstable" walk and handshake.

However, Roque denied the need for Malacañang to release medical bulletins from the president's doctors to stop such rumors.

It is enough, he said, that Duterte will appear in Cebu City on Tuesday, August 21 to attend a conference of the Visayas cluster of the League of Congregations of the Philippines.

"They say he has a coma and then he goes to the League tomorrow [Municipalities], which document do you want? Every time he appears in public, we unmask messages that he is in a coma, so why do you need a document to show that he is in perfect health? "Said Roque.

Asked why Malacañang is not fond of medical bulletins when the 1987 Constitution stipulates that the public should be kept informed if the president has a serious illness, Roque said: "Because IK & # 39;I do not know that the president is sick. There is no information that the president is ill. & # 39;

Duterte, he claims, is transparent enough to talk about his health in public speeches.

"The president said he has received a clean health certificate, so that actually makes the results of his medical tests public," said Roque.

Is that enough? Despite Roque's statements, former presidents have done more than their spokesmen or claim to be about the state of health, as an Rappler interpreter shows. Presidents Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued medical bulletins from their physicians when they had undergone medical procedures. In the case of Duterte, however, the public only relies on the words of Roque or Duterte & # 39; s for an explanation of his health.

The dark skin of Duterte

Roque also drew on observations that parts of Duterte's face appear darker than before, which according to some may be symptoms of a disease or the effect of certain medical treatments.

The spokesman might say that the president only forgot to wear his usual face of "powder."

I do not know, maybe he just did not have powder, normally the president has powder, maybe there is only a picture taken of him without powder, so I do not see anything out of the ordinary with the color of the face of the president . & # 39; Roque said.

The spokesman also relaxed the shaking of Duterte's hand, observed during his last swearing in with new government officials.

"Kung nanginginig siya, nanginginig siya sa galit lalo na doon sa isyu ng korupsyon.Galit na galit talaga & yun," Roque said. (If his hand trembled, he trembled with anger, especially about the issue of corruption, he is really furious.)

In the meantime, special assistant of the President Bong Go and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III Roque acted to assure the public that Duterte is in good health.

"Nasa kama long nag-rest, kausap ko pa 2 am kaninang madaling araw si PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte), "Go said in a message (he is just lying in bed.) I spoke with PRRD 2 hours today.)

Pimentel, one of Duterte's allies, also said: "He is healthy, why believe in the report of someone hundreds of miles away in Europe?"

Both Roque and Go said that Sison is spreading false information. – Rappler.com