Bong Go says Duterte in good health: ‘Mas malakas pa sa kalabaw’

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go on Wednesday vouched that President Rodrigo Duterte is in good health amid concerns about the Chief Executive's Barrett’s esophagus.

"Mahigit dalawang dekada kong kasama si Pangulong Duterte at alam ko ang estado ng kanyang kalusugan. Inaalagaan nang mabuti ng Pangulo ang kanyang sarili. Wala po siyang iniindang sakit na seryoso at hindi natin kailangang mag-alala," Go, a former aide of  Duterte, said in a statement.

"Mas malakas pa sa kalabaw ang Pangulo kung magtrabaho para sa kapakanan ng lahat ng mga Pilipino. Pero ikonsidera rin natin ang edad ng ating Pangulo. Sino ba namang tao na 75 years old na ang walang nararamdamang sakit sa katawan?" he added.

Go said that as much as the President wants to go around the country, his mobility is restricted because of his vulnerability to COVID-19.

"Ito ang rason kung bakit nagiging mahigpit ang PSG at ang mga doktor sa kanya para masigurong hindi siya magkaroon ng anumang malubhang karamdaman," he said.

The senator said the public should not worry as Duterte will not waver in doing his responsibilities as President, especially as the country continues to grapple with the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

Duterte recently mentioned that his doctor told him to stop drinking because his Barrett’s esophagus is nearing stage one cancer.

Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus is replaced by tissues similar to the lining of the intestine.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said Duterte was talking about "a medical advice that happened many years ago, even prior to the presidency."

The President is "fit and healthy for a person his age," according to his spokesperson Harry Roque. — RSJ, GMA News