Duterte grounded by migraine, forced to skip events

 

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte failed to deliver a speech before members of the Philippine Society of Hypertension and The Philippine Lipid and Athrosclerosis Society at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Hotel in Pasig City because of a bout with migraine.

Duterte, standard bearer in the May elections of the PDP-Laban, was already in the venue and was his way to the conference room when he suddenly excused himself and retreated to the toilet. Reporters were told by the mayor's media handlers that he was just freshening up.

After a few minutes, his runningmate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, made the announcement that Duterte needs to rest because he has migraine.

When asked if it's anything serious, the vice presidential candidate said that it happens but it's nothing to be worried about. He added that it may have been just triggered by sleeplessness and fatigue.

It was Cayetano who eventually went on stage and shared the tandem's platform on health as Duterte decided to leave and prepare to go home to Davao City, the next stop or his campaign trail.

"Thank you for your patience. I took over muna sa pagsalita ni Mayor kasi medyo masama talaga ang migraine. So far, we’re not cancelling or postponing any activity. Iyong activity sa Saturday, tuloy pa rin," he told reporters.

Duterte was scheduled to take his oath as the new chairman of PDP-Laban hours before his kick off rally on Tuesday. But he also skipped the event because he wanted to conserve his energy for the rally. He later had his oath-taking in Tondo.

No hospital trip

Meanwhile, Duterte's camp was quick to deny rumors that the tough-talking mayor was brought to the hospital on Thursday.

"The mayor was not brought to the hospital. He just had a migraine and he took a rest," PDP-Laban spokesperson Paola Alvarez told GMA News.

Team Duterte spokesman Peter Laviña, meanwhile, said the mayor will be skipping scheduled events on Friday in Davao City to rest.

The health of the presidential bets has been the subject of much discussion early in the campaign, with five of them professing to be fit enough for the country's highest post.

Duterte was hounded by rumors that he had throat cancer before declaring his desire to run for the presidency.

He has denied those reports, even as he admitted that he had Buerger's disease, a rare disease where the arteries and veins in the arms and legs could swell and become inflamed, blocking them with blood clots. — APG/JST, GMA News