Filtered By: Topstories
News

Joma Sison says Duterte in coma; Palace execs dispute claim


Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison has said President Rodrigo Duterte has gone into coma, a claim branded by Malacañang officials as “absolutely false.”

Sison took to Facebook on Sunday evening to share what he allegedly knew about the President’s health.

The communist leader said those who saw Duterte during the national convention of his San Beda Law fraternity Lex Talionis Fraternitas on Saturday “reported that the darkness of his face had become aggravated from its appearance the other day and that his walk and handshake had become more unstable.”

Sison, once accused by Duterte of suffering from colon cancer, accompanied his post with a photo supposedly taken during the Lex Talionis event which was closed to the media.

“The latest report (still to be verified or negated) is that Duterte has gone into coma since the afternoon or evening of today, Sunday, August 19. The report is still being verified by the press from the Palace,” Sison said.

“People are awaiting the personal appearance of Duterte and medical bulletin from his office.”

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo blasted Sison’s claim.

“Absolutely false. Perhaps that is the wish of Joma Sison hence when he is fed with the wrong information on PRRD's [President Duterte’s] health he easily believes in it,” Panelo said in a text message.

“Unlike Joma Sison the President is in robust health. I wish him good health that he may live long enough to see the dawn of peace that has remained elusive between the communist insurgents and the armed forces.”

For his part, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go said Sison might be dreaming.

“Nasa kama lang nag-rest, kausap ko pa 2 a.m. kaninang madaling araw si PRRD. Baka nanaginip lang si Joma,” Go said.

‘Not a doctor’

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque urged the public not to listen to Sison, whom he described as a “spent revolutionary and not a doctor.”

“As usual, Joma Sison does not know what he talks about. How would he know about the state of health of the President when he is in faraway Netherlands,” Roque said at a news conference.

Asked about the alleged darkening of the President's face, Roque said: “I don’t know maybe he was just not wearing powder.”

“Normally the President [is] wearing powder; maybe there was just a photo taken of him without powder. So I don’t see anything extraordinarily different from the color of the President’s face,” he added.

Roque said Duterte is “fine and well” in Davao participating in Kadayawan festivities.

The President is set to attend the conference of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines in Cebu City on Tuesday. He also has public events set for August 27 (National Heroes Day) and August 30.

Roque asked the critics of the President to stop wishing him ill.

“Every time you wish him ill lalong lumalakas; kasing lakas naman ng kabayo ang Presidente,” he said.

Panelo earlier denied that the 73-year-old Duterte may have thought of quitting the presidency due to sickness.

Duterte last week floated again the possibility of stepping down from office as he admitted getting exasperated by continuing corruption in government. — RSJ, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT