Duterte to De Lima, Pangilinan: Stop pretending you're concerned with my health

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday criticized two members of the Liberal Party for pretending to be concerned about his health when he felt they were more interested to know if he had died.

The President was referring to Liberal Party president Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and detained Sen. Leila de Lima, who both had earlier urged Malacañang to disclose the real state of Duterte’s health after the President decided to skip the Philippine Independence Day rites and stayed out of the public eye until June 17.

Duterte in a media interview on Tuesday night said of Liberal Party president Senator Kiko Pangilinan and imprisoned Senator Leila de Lima:

“Si De Lima, sabi niya, magsabi ako ng totoo kung saan ako ng dalawang araw. Sabi niya I should not lie to the nation. Si De Lima is only interested to hear about my dying or death. She does not care if I live. Ang hinihintay lang niyan sabihin na namatay na si Duterte. Mag-ambak-ambak [jumping] ‘yan doon sa selda niya,” he told reporters in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Si Pangilinan also. What do they really care if I die today or tomorrow? If I get sick or tired? Your only interest is to know where I am and whether or not I am dying or dead! Hindi ako bilib na concerned ka sa akin, Kiko. I should not bare all,” he added.

Apart from De Lima and Pangilinan, Sen. Panfilo Lacson had likewise earlier appealed to the Palace to disclose the state of Duterte's health.

Duterte had insisted that during his one-week rest, he was either in bed or travelling incognito.

“Hindi halata sa media, ganoon. Tatlo lang, apat, including the driver. Ngayon—oh ngayon, magtanong kayo ha? Hindi ninyo malaman, ngayon gusto niyo ng tanungin. Eh ‘di hindi na ako nag-incognito. I had a talk with somebody,” he said.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, meanwhile, laughed at a column written by former senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad saying that Duterte had a mild stroke.
“He stood up. He showed himself. Kit Tatad may just be creating fantasies,” he said.

Abella also denied Tatad’s claim that Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. briefed the Cabinet officials about Duterte’s health condition last Friday.

“Kit Tatad must be sourcing something that nobody knows about,” he said. — MDM/KVD, GMA News