Duterte 'in the green of health,' Palace assures public

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may not be in the pink of health but he is in the "green of health," Malacañang said Sunday, as it downplayed the 74-year-old leader's admission that he is suffering from diseases related to old age.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo claimed Duterte not only survives his hectic schedule but also does his work well despite his health issues.

"Hindi siya normal kasi nga ang dami niyang nararamdaman. Kumbaga, kung sinabi ko noon na he was in the pink of health, ngayon (He is not normal because he has a lot of illnesses. Before, I said he was in the pink of health, now) I think he is now in the green of health. Hindi na pink, green lang (No longer pink, just green)," Panelo said in a radio interview.  

Asked what "green of health" means, Panelo replied: "Kung ano yung sakit ng mga matatanda sa edad niya (Whatever illnesses the elderly have), ordinarily he has that."

There is no "in the green of health" idiom in the English language. "In the pink," meanwhile, means in very good health, according to the Cambridge Dictionary.

READ: Duterte admits suffering illnesses related to old age

"But if you will notice, even if he has illnesses, his schedule has not changed. Not only does he survive, he does it well," Panelo added.

Duterte flew home from Japan earlier than scheduled last month due to "unbearable" back pain. 

Sen. Christopher Bong Go, the president's longtime aide and de facto spokesman, said, however, that "there’s nothing to worry about. It’s purely muscle spasms, but he really needs to rest." Go told reporters, adding that the doctors prescribed pain relievers.

Duterte has been working from his home in Davao City since Tuesday. He has admitted to suffering from various ailments but officials claim his health problems are also being experienced by other people his age.

The president is suffering from acute bronchitis, a migraine related to a spinal injury he sustained in a motorcycle accident in the 1960s, and Buerger’s disease, an sickness tied to smoking. He recently experienced back pain after falling off from a motorcycle at the Presidential Security Group compound.  

In an interview with GMA News last week, Duterte said he has all the illnesses because he is old.

"Are you in the best of health? Of course not. I am old, life has begun to take its toll on my health,” the President said.

Despite his health issues, the President is pushing through with his trip to South Korea to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit this month.

RELATED: Back pain from motorcycle mishap adds to Duterte's litany of health issues