(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte himself revealed that results of his recent medical test showed that he was “negative” for cancer.
The President told his cabinet members in a meeting Monday night, October 8, that test results had cleared him of cancer.
Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año told reporters how the President himself had intimated this to them during Monday’s cabinet meeting, and that there was nothing to worry about his health.
“Sinabi niya na, ‘by the way I had my test and sabi niya the test is negative’ (He said ‘by the way I had my test and he said that the test is negative),” Año said.
He said that the President even cracked a joke about his health, comparing it to a battery.
“Nag-joke pa nga siya sabi niya ‘alam niyo itong health natin parang baterya yan eh minsan negative chaka positive’ (He even cracked a joke. He said, you know, our health is like a battery – sometimes negative and also positive),” Año said.
The President also said that there was no need to issue a medical bulletin about his health.
The 73-year old Philippine leader, the oldest to be elected as president, gave a speech on October 4, during a dinner held for the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace, hinted about the state of his health.
He said he was also already tired, and expressed readiness to just give up if it turns out he had cancer.
“Ayaw ko na talaga kasi pagod na rin ako. And I know that time was up for me. Siguro pagdating mo ng 70 years old wala na ‘yan. I had nga my… You know the other — about three weeks ago, I had my endoscopy and colonoscopy,” he said.
The President also revealed the repeat test at Cardinal Santos Medical Center where he had to stay for about an hour. The repeat test was supposedly to investigate a growth in the President’s digestive tract.
“Somebody advised my doctor just also to repeat and get some samples there both dito uli. So I stayed there for one hour sa Cardinal Santos. So hindi ko pa masabi kung meron ba talaga akong tama o wala. But I have this Barrett and it has been bothering me since — ever since — dahil nga sa inom rin. Well there are people predisposed to Barrett kasi ‘yung hindi nagsasara ‘yung ano mo pagka… Alam mo ‘pag nakahiga ka, when you lie down, there is that cap na nagsasara rin so the acid of the stomach does not reach the esophagus. Corrosive ‘yan eh,” he said.
Duterte said he had reflux or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach
“That’s why if you get there ‘yung parang gumaganun ka sa umaga that’s GERD, reflux, napabayaan ko sir kasi ano hindi ako naghinto ng inom. Kaya nga wala na eh ang pagsisisi ganun na lang eh. It always comes late. So it got worse. I don’t know where — where I’m now physically but I have to wait for that… But I would tell you that — if it’s cancer, it’s cancer. And if it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong my agony in this office or anywhere,” he said during his speech.
The President over the weekend took some time off with his common-law-wife Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty in Hong Kong to relax and have more “bonding time”
“The President suddenly decided to go on vacation. He missed bonding with his daughter, which he had not done for the past two years,” said Special Assistant Christopher “Bong” Go.
He said that the trip was “private” and that he was the one who only knew about it.
He said that when the President was still the mayor of Davao City, he frequently visited Hong Kong taking his youngest daughter “Kitty” with him.
