Duterte mocks those who spread rumors he is dead
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:52 p.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte Sunday proved that rumors about his death were greatly exaggerated as he appeared on online videos to mock those who claim that he has passed away.
Duterte was seen in three videos posted on Facebook by his partner Cielito "Honeylet" Avanceña. In the first video, Avanceña was showing Duterte a copy of Sunday's issue of The STAR in a dining room. In the second and third videos, Duterte was addressing those who believe he is dead.
"For those who believe in the news that I passed away, then I request of you, please pray for me, for the eternal repose of my soul. Thank you," Duterte said in one of the videos.
WATCH: President Duterte tells those spreading rumors about his death to pray for the eternal repose of his soul. | ????: Honeylet Avanceña, via @alexisbromero
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) February 3, 2019
FULL STORY: https://t.co/VAWCh48eX7 pic.twitter.com/T0CF3k9EDD
The 73-year-old president also promised to "interview" God and to relay the messages of his critics to Him.
"I will ask god first if he’s available for interview because I will go there. What is your message? I will relay it. Priests, bishops, everyone. And the last wish of the drug addicts, you list them all. I will be the one to bring them to heaven or hell, it depends," the president said in Filipino.
WATCH: President Duterte vows he will interview God when asked about his reaction on rumors that he passed away. | ????: Honeylet Avanceña
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) February 3, 2019
FULL STORY: https://t.co/I1kIOl3Mck pic.twitter.com/TqzsnImUbB
Hours before Avanceña uploaded the videos, some users of social networking sites were speculating about the health of Duterte, noting that the president has not been seen in public since last Wednesday.
WATCH: President Duterte's partner Honeylet Avanceña shows the president a copy of today's issue of The STAR. The video was uploaded by Avanceña to dispel rumors that the president is dead. | via @alexisbromero pic.twitter.com/Pl3nlBm3nr
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) February 3, 2019
Duterte's last public engagement was his attendance at the premiere of the movie about former Philippine National Police chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa in Mandaluyong City last Tuesday.
Earlier, Duterte admitted to suffering from acute bronchitis and a migraine tied to a spinal injury he sustained in a motorcycle mishap in the 1960s. Duterte, the oldest person to be elected to the presidency, has also admitted to having Buerger’s disease, an illness caused by smoking.
Last October, Duterte revealed he underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy and even raised the possibility that he may have cancer. Endoscopy seeks to examine a patient's digestive tract while colonoscopy aims to check the condition of the large intestine. Duterte, later on, claimed he was tested negative for cancer.
Despite Duterte's statement, about half of Filipinos believe the president has health problems, according to a recent poll.
A nationwide Social Weather Stations survey conducted last month indicated that 66 percent of Filipinos are worried about Duterte's health, higher than the 55 percent recorded in September.
The poll, which used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults, also found 49 percent believe the president has health problems, more than double the 24 percent who thought otherwise.
Malacañang denies claims, such as that of Communist party founder Joma Sison on Sunday, that President Rodrigo Duterte has been in comatose.
Sison cited a "latest report" that is yet "to be verified or negated" in saying that Duterte has gone into coma late Sunday.
"The president is healthy. He's fine," says presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
A new SWS poll shows that seven in 10 Filipinos worry about President Duterte's health and six in 10 say the state of his health is a public matter.
The December 2019 survey found that 72% of adult Filipinos are worried (consisting of 25% worried a great deal and 47% somewhat worried) while 28% saying they are not worried (15% somewhat not worried, 13% not worried at all) about the president's health.
This is similar to June 2019 when 74% were worried and 26% were not worried about Duterte's health, SWS says.
The survey also found that 61% of Filipinos believe Duterte's state of health is a public matter and that the public should be informed of everything about it. Some 37%, however, believe that it is a private matter.
"This is similar to September 2018 when 61% said the President's state of health is a public matter, and 33% said it is a private matter," SWS adds.
The fourth quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey was conducted from Dec. 13-16, 2019 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The poll has sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Malacañang says there is no need to issue a medical bulletin on President Duterte's health days after telling the public that the chief executive will share the results of his medical consultation.
"It comes only when there is serious illness, that’s the constitutional provision," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo says.
Duterte cut his Japan trip last Tuesday due to back pain brought about his motorcycle accident last October 16.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo assures the public that President Duterte will share results of his medical consultation after the chief executive cut his Japan trip due to back pain.
Former presidential aide Christopher Go has released photos to show President Duterte is not in the hospital.
LOOK: Former presidential aide Christopher Go has released photos
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) May 19, 2019
President Duterte to dispel rumors that the president is confined in a hospital.
The photos show Duterte holding a copy of today's issue of The Philippine STAR | @alexisbromero pic.twitter.com/R9AZwBg4Sc
The Palace says rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte is in Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan are not true.
Palace denies President Duterte was brought to Cardinal Santos hospital | @alexisbromero
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) May 19, 2019
The 74-year-old president's time away from the public eye has repeatedly raised questions about his health. The Palace has also repeatedly said that the president is fine and that it will inform the public in case he is seriously ill.
In October 2018, three Palace officials made similar denials when it was rumored that Duterte was in Cardinal Santos. The president later disclosed that he did go to the hospital for tests.
Previous absences from public events have been explained as the president resting, doing paperwork, or watching movies online.
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