Palace says nothing to worry about after Duterte nearly lost balance during SONA

Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public that there is nothing to worry about President Rodrigo Duterte's health, after the president lost his balance on his way to the podium on Monday to deliver his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA).

"I don't think it's anything to worry about kung ang iniisip ng taumbayan ay ang kaniyang kalusugan [if they're concerned about the president's health," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on Unang Balita.

"Parang nadulas lang siya kahapon [It seemed like he just nearly lost his balance yesterday]," he added.

Roque said that the 76-year-old Duterte, despite being a senior citizen, has no "extraordinary problem."

"Alam niyo wala naman po siyang extraordinary na problema. He is who he is, he is a senior citizen, at mukhang nadulas lang naman siya kahapon," he said.

(The president has no extraordinary problem. He is who he is, he is a senior citizen, and he seemed to have just lost his balance yesterday.)

At one point during Duterte's almost three-hour long SONA, he said he could no longer pronounce the words in his prepared speech correctly and joked about contracting COVID-19. He even asked if there was an ambulance on standby.

Several people physically present at the Batasang Pambansa Session Hall laughed at Duterte's remarks.

Duterte has already completed the two-dose of COVID-19 vaccination series on July 12. —KBK, GMA News