THERE is no truth to rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday, October 3, Malacañang officials assured.
"Walang katotohanan na-admit [si President Duterte]. Hindi 'yan totoo 100 percent po. Itataya ko ang buhay ko diyan, hindi totoo 'yan (It is not true that [President Duterte] was admitted to the hospital. It's 100 percent untrue. I will bet my life, it's not true)," Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go said in a statement.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. gave the same assurance after rumors circulated Duterte was taken to Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Manila on Wednesday.
The speculations surfaced after Duterte skipped the scheduled turnover of a check from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday.
The event pushed through even without the President's presence.
The President was last seen on Tuesday, October 2, in Catarman, Samar, where he talked to the Philippine Army's 803rd Infantry Brigade and witnessed the presentation of former communist rebels.
Roque told Palace reporters in a press briefing Thursday that the President merely skipped Wednesday's event because the latter wanted to take a "private time."
"He (Duterte) had a schedule almost everyday. He did not really have a day off. So the President decided to have private time," he said. "I myself would have wanted to see him. I was expecting to see him in the Pagcor check turn-over. But he decided he wanted to take the day off.
Go likewise said the Chief Executive felt exhausted from his public engagement last Tuesday.
Both Go and Roque stressed that Duterte would make a public appearance at the Malacañan Palace on Thursday afternoon.
"Antay lang natin mamaya may public appearance siya (Let's just wait for his public appearance later),“ Go said.
Duterte was set to hold a joint command conference with the military and police officials at around 4 p.m. Thursday. He was also scheduled to have dinner with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Alumni Association, Inc. after the command conference.
Both events were not open for media coverage.
There have been persistent rumors about Duterte's frail health.
On August 19, communist founder Jose Maria Sison alleged that Duterte was comatose, but the Chief Executive denied the allegation.
While assuring the public that he is in the pink of health, Duterte revealed on September 21 that he had undergone colonoscopy and endoscopy.
Malacañang, however, clarified on September 24 that both medical procedures were part of a "routine" check-up to monitor his health condition.
Asked how Duterte responds to rumors about his health, Roque said: "I don't think he really cares about the rumors. You're about to see him again this afternoon. There's a command conference and there's a dinner with the PMA Alumni Association."
"The health is fine. The President is a lwayer. He will inform and conform with the Constitution if there's a serious health ailment but there is none," he added.
Under Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution, the President is mandated to inform the public about his health, "in case of serious illness."
Roque, however, said the public should trust the President, who remains ot be in good health.
"Please trust that if he has a serious ailment, the people will know. And of course, I keep on repeating this, he's a lawyer, he knows his Constitutional obligation, if there's a ground to release it, he will," he said.
"But for the time being, let's continue to treat medical records as being confidential," he added. (SunStar Philippines)