Duterte admits suffering from acute bronchitis

MANILA, Philippines - After three days on the stump, presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte landed in the hospital last Thursday.

Contrary to rumors, however, he was downed not by cancer but acute bronchitis and migraine, according to his aide.   

Duterte confirmed yesterday that he was confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Christopher Bong Go, Duterte’s closest assistant, told reporters that the mayor suffered from acute bronchitis, prompting him to take a short rest and cancel his scheduled meetings yesterday after he had a migraine attack last Thursday afternoon.

The 70-year-old mayor cancelled his speech at a convention of doctors at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City after the migraine attack.

He was supposed to present his health programs during the 21st Annual Convention of Philippine Society of Hypertension and the Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society.

“Advised to rest lang siya. He is okay. Exhausted lang last ten days. Migraine lang and acute bronchitis,” Go told reporters.

He, however, clarified that Duterte is doing fine and is physically fit.

Duterte’s campaign spokesman Peter Laviña told The STAR that Duterte’s cough was caused by acute bronchitis, but said that it is not a serious illness and is not throat cancer, contrary to speculations.

He also belied reports that Duterte was rushed to the hospital last Thursday afternoon after the migraine attack.

Visibly weak, Duterte arrived at the hotel past 2 p.m. using the Robinson’s mall entrance. He was seen leaning on the hallway wall and being assisted by his staff. He was also seen holding the right side of his neck.

Duterte’s runningmate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano explained that the mayor needs to rest in a holding room because of migraine, but added it is “nothing to worry about.”

Cayetano said the migraine “is something that is not life threatening” and the public can see him in the next few days.

Duterte told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 that he stayed at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center due to bronchitis.

He said doctors advised him to stay at the hospital but the mayor insisted on going home to Davao and he took a 3 p.m. Philipine Airlines flight yesterday to Davao.

He said he also suffered a migraine attack on Thursday.

Duterte said the migraine attacks were connected with a spinal injury that he suffered in a motorcycle accident in the 1960s.

When asked if his health has affected his campaign, Duterte said that if the campaign period would last for two years, then “I will surrender.”

“But I will tell you people, I am your last card,” he said adding, “You could choose Roxas, then Binay or Grace Poe, but I am the only one who has the capability to eradicate criminality, fight graft and corruption and drugs.”

Maricar Limpin, a pulmonologist at the Philippine Heart Center, explained that bronchitis is an inflammation or infection of the bronchial tubes or the air passages between the nose and the lungs, which may be acute or chronic.

Limpin explained that acute bronchitis is a shorter illness that commonly follows a cold or viral infection.

Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is a serious, ongoing illness characterized by a persistent, mucus-producing cough.

She said that chronic bronchitis is usually brought about by smoking.

Limpin, however, said that acute bronchitis is not fatal unless there is already a severe infection or inflammation of the air passages.

She told The STAR symptoms of acute bronchitis include difficulty in breathing, cough with phlegm and a slight fever if there is bacterial infection.   

She said that Duterte could go back to the campaign trail after five to seven days of rest.

Duterte failed to attend an event organized by the Philippine Center for Journalism (PCIJ) last Feb. 6 because of “sore throat.” – With Jess Diaz, Rudy Santos, Edith Regalado