Duterte visits dengue-stricken daughter in hospital

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte visited Monday night at the hospital his daughter Veronica, who has contracted dengue fever.

Kitty, reportedly among those who received the controversial anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in 2017, has been confined in a hospital here since the President was about to conclude his visit to Russia on Sunday. It was reportedly her first time to contract dengue.

In a short video shared on Instagram, the presidential daughter was seen with a dextrose tube on her right hand as her father, whom she alluded to as “Daddy Shark” in the caption of the clip, looked on in the hospital room.

The President was reportedly in a rush to leave Moscow last Sunday after hearing his daughter fell sick. Honeylet Avanceña, who was in Germany when their daughter got hospitalized, had to cut short her trip.

Duterte said in his arrival speech that he was unable to sleep during the 13-hour flight from Moscow. He reportedly knew of his daughter’s hospitalization just as he was about to wind up engagements in Moscow.

“I have to go now, I still have to go to see Kitty. She has dengue,” the President told The STAR in a brief chat as he was rushing to get out of the airport, adding that she was already in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon. 

The President said he has been monitoring his daughter’s situation while in Russia. 

Kitty’s platelet count has reportedly increased, compared to the first day of confinement. Her platelet count reportedly went as low as 52 but has been increasing steadily since then.

Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher Go said the President was very worried about Veronica’s situation and that he seemed restless during the flight home.

“For 11 hours he was so restless because he was thinking of his youngest daughter,” Go said, adding that Veronica is now recovering.