MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured on Thursday, September 3, 2020, that President Rodrigo Duterte is in a “good state of health” despite his earlier admission that his Barrett’s esophagus condition is worsening and may progress to stage 1 cancer.
Duque said Duterte is “okay” based on his observations during their Cabinet meetings.
“Okay naman siya. Kapag nagmimeeting kami, malinaw naman ang kanyang mga direktiba. Malinaw naman ang kanyang mga sinasabi at ang kanyang frame of mind ay very clear,” Duque told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(He is okay. Whenever we meet, his directives are clear. His words and his frame of mind are very clear.)
“‘Yung kanyang mga pag-uutos sa amin, ‘yung mga kagustuhan niya, ‘yung mga priorities niya ay malinaw naman ang kanyang pagbabahagi sa kanyang Gabinete. Maayos naman siya, ‘yung kulay naman niya, okay naman, Wala naman akong nakikitang problema. He is in a good state of health,” Duque said of the 75-year-old President.
(He is able to clearly deliver orders to us and relay his priorities to the Cabinet. He is okay, his complexion is okay. I don’t see any problem. He is in a good state of health.)
Duterte had previously admitted in public that he has Buerger’s disease and Barrett’s esophagus. He also said he has been experiencing occasional headaches and has spinal issues which he attributes to a motorcycle accident when he was 68 years old.