Palace: No need for yearly disclosure of President Duterte’s health

Malacañang on Monday said there is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to issue yearly medical bulletins to inform the public about the state of his health.

"Hindi naman," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference.

Panelo gave the reaction after eight senatorial aspirants, including Duterte's allies, agreed during a forum on Sunday that the President should authorize the issuance of medical bulletins.

The allies are former Philippine National Police chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, former presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino and Senator JV Ejercito.

"The question was whether or not the President should issue a medical bulletin in case of serious illness. The President agrees with that. That is why he informs us of what happened to the medical examination. I don’t think there is a question on that," Panelo said.

Rumors of Duterte’s health woes re-emerged in October after the 73-year-old leader missed two official events, including a meeting with the Cabinet.

Duterte later told his official family that he does not have cancer, after he underwent tests in a private hospital as doctors asked him to repeat digestive track procedures three weeks after similar tests.

Duterte is mandated by the 1987 Constitution to inform the public in case he is suffering from a serious medical condition. 

Last month, Duterte missed several meetings during the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore, including the breakfast meeting with Australia’s leader and gala dinner Singapore hosted for heads of government, sparking criticism and renewed calls for transparency on his health condition.

Malacañang said Duterte hardly slept the night before due to heavy workload and needed to take power naps in between meetings.

Duterte, in a speech before the Filipino community in Papua New Guinea on November 16, made light of his absence in a breakfast meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, asking in jest on whether the organizers would serve kangaroo meat to him and other attendees. — RSJ, GMA News