Senators urge national bets to bare medical records

MANILA, Philippines – Senate leaders echoed calls for national candidates to disclose their medical and health records, saying that doing so would aid the electorate in choosing the next set of leaders who can best serve the country.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senate deputy minority leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III also agreed on the need for all candidates to be candid enough to the public to reveal their state of health.

“In the spirit of transparency and in the best interest of our people, I support the call for the candidates to release their medical and health records,” Drilon said.

Drilon said those running for the highest position “owe it to the voting public to fully disclose their physical capacity to fully perform the mandates they are seeking.”

“We are electing a president who will lead us in the next six years. Without referring to anyone, we cannot afford to have a leader who will eventually be hospitalized because of poor health condition, which we have not been previously made aware of,” he said.  

Drilon said that the candidates could take the initiative by presenting their medical records “in the spirit of transparency.”

“It is not a requirement under our Constitution but I believe that we owe this vital information to our electorate whose trust and confidence we seek,” he said.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III also reiterated his call for all five presidential candidates to be open to the public about their true state of health to determine if they can survive the rigorous 90-day campaign period and eventually the next six years in office.

Sotto challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sens. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Grace Poe, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II to come clean on their medical condition.

Santiago has been open about her late-stage lung cancer but she has refused to make public her medical records.

Sotto said he had an executive check-up to prepare him for the 90-day campaign.

Sotto said he had been advised to slow down on sugar intake after tests revealed slightly high sugar levels. Otherwise, Sotto said he is fit to campaign.

Roxas, for his part, supported the call for candidates to reveal their status of health, even as he hit Duterte for his campaign tactics.

Duterte went on leave from the campaign after getting hospitalized for bronchitis and migraine.

Duterte earlier said he was willing to release his medical records if the LP standard bearer will prove that he is circumcised.

“I don’t have time for such ridiculous things,” Roxas said.

Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, campaign manager of the administration senatorial candidates, belittled what he said was Duterte’s effort to gain attention.

“He (Duterte) offers great entertainment value and people will realize, you know what he offers is just that. We’re not here for laughs. We’re here for the welfare of the 104 million people,” Quimbo said.

 “We’re not here to elect a comedian,” he added.

Duterte said he would last the entire stretch of the campaign if he had his medication with him. – With Paolo Romero, Edith Regalado