Duterte admits undergoing medical procedures

MANILA, Philippines — At a gathering of doctors, President Duterte admitted undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy performed by his personal gastroenterologist, citing a family history of constipation.

In remarks before gastroenterologists in Cebu City, Duterte revealed his recent medical procedures were connected to Barrett disease he acquired when he was younger due to smoking and heavy drinking.

“I had my colonoscopy and endoscopy about a week ago. Joey did the procedure and he said that… Well, I have a bad case of Barrett. He said, if you’ll just stop drinking, you will live,” the Chief Executive said, referring to his gastroenterologist, Dr. Joey Sollano of the University of Santo Tomas.?He said he always recommends Sollano to family and friends who complain of digestive or any stomach problems.

Barrett’s disease is a serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Endoscopy is a non-surgical procedure used to examine a person’s digestive tract. In colonoscopy, a long, flexible tube – with a video camera at the tip – called colonoscope is inserted into a patient’s rectum to examine changes in the large intestine.

Duterte also revealed that a neurologist, a certain Dr. Mercado, now retired, had treated him for a spinal problem he acquired after a motorcycle accident when he was younger.

Duterte said his late mother also suffered from constipation, as does his son Sebastian, who also complained of “bleeding.”

“Historically, I took after my mother who was always constipated. That was her complaint. But she lived to be 96 years old. So if you want to live forever, pray for constipation,” he said.

“Well, I’m telling you the truth. And that was also genetical maybe. And I have a son, Sebastian. He got it also,” Duterte said, adding that Sollano also attended to Sebastian.  

Sebastian, one of three children with his former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, is now cured and “back to his business of womanizing,” the President joked.

For a natural cure, Duterte said his doctor told him to take enough water.

“Plenty of water, the problem is plenty of visits to the bathroom. You can go there for about four or five times because the bladder is going to burst,” he said.

Duterte added that he also received advice from some Chinese friends to take bird’s nest and Yakult.   

“You just drink one bottle every night before sleeping. It’s just like a gelatin, bird’s nest, very similar. Then you take Yakult. It’s a what? Probiotic. I’m telling you, I’m telling you on my oath as a worker of government, I have not had any problem,” he said.

Duterte also joked about his partner, Honeylet Avaceña, a former nurse, who had advised him against undergoing a procedure for his spinal problem.

Duterte said his wife had told him he deserved to “suffer” to pay for his sins.

“If you cannot die, then I want you to suffer for your sins,” he said, quoting Avaceña.

“So we (are) all… Aging, we suffer. And modern medicine can maybe help you a bit but the thing here is that it’s more of a prevention and that is what we thought,” Duterte said.