Jumping jacks with PBBM

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) is indeed the best spokesman for himself. And who could best speak about his being well and healthy? Of course, none other than PBBM himself. Wearing a long-sleeved white barong tagalog and shiny black shoes, PBBM did at least three bursts of jumping jack exercises. He capped it with a short distance sprint last Monday in and out of Malacañang Palace grounds.

PBBM did these impromptu physical exercises, which he normally does inside the presidential palace gym. From the main Palace going to the New Executive Building (NEB), PBBM started flexing his leg and arm muscles. He initially showed off his jumping jacks and jogging exercises as captured by his official videographers and photographers.

Jumping jacks are full-body, high-intensity exercises performed by jumping from a standing position with feet together into a wide stance while simultaneously raising arms overhead and back, effectively improving cardiovascular health, bone density and muscle strength in the legs and shoulders.

In an unscheduled press conference, PBBM threw a curve ball to all his ill-wishers. Addressing no one in particular, the 68-year-old President declared: “And I challenge anyone who is saying that I am sick, that they come and exercise with me. We will see who is stronger.”

It was not an empty boast. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos attests to her husband’s lean but mean weight-lifting prowess. As often as their respective schedules permit, the First Couple goes to the gym together. Aside from swimming, she does “the seven-minute taichi” recommended for women of her age.

Aside from weights, PBBM revealed he also does the elliptical machine, a low-impact, stationary cardio machine that simulates walking, running and climbing stairs without stressing joints. It provides a full-body workout by engaging both arms and legs, burning approximately 270-400 calories in 30 minutes, depending on intensity. This machine is also ideal for muscle rehabilitation or reduced-impact training.

According to him, he does his physical exercises three to four times a week. He had to stop his exercises for a while after a bout of diverticulitis last January that sent him to an emergency stay at St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City. He lost weight after being advised to slow down on his favorite steak and other meats. His shrunken look apparently fueled talks that his diverticulitis is worse than what is being told to the public.

Being transparent about his state of health, PBBM replied without equivocation that he now takes maintenance medicine. In fact, he cited, he has two. One is Allopurinol for gout and the other is for anti-hypertension. He swore he is not taking vitamin supplements. And that his diet is back to normal and his “exercise is back to normal.”

Known to be slow to anger, undoubtedly PBBM could no longer contain his irritation at the persistent rumors on his supposed ill health.

Calling them collectively “liars,” PBBM showed them they ought not to cross the line of his patience.

PBBM admitted he has to push back at his bashers. “I don’t want our people to worry,” PBBM explained to Palace reporters. The President cited he didn’t want to add to the concerns of the people amid the prevailing Middle East oil price crisis affecting us in the Philippines.

The members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) themselves were dragged into the controversy by anti-administration trolls over the imagined health crisis of PBBM. In social media posts, the MPC were accused of being in cahoots in the alleged cover-up on the true state of health of the Chief Executive. The last straw, so to speak, prompted the MPC to issue a statement denouncing the latest “fake news” being spread by nameless, faceless, online bashers who hide behind the cloaks of anonymity and aliases in their social media posts.

Allies and rabid supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s family have stepped up on the rumor mills and accused the mainstream media of covering up for Malacañang. One known supporter influencer and like-minded online content creators claimed President Marcos is in a coma while others peddle the rumors that PBBM is supposedly suffering from stage four colon cancer. 

“I’m watching my food better than before,” the Chief Executive admitted.

“I haven’t been to the hospital for three months and even then it was just to have a CAT-scan because the CAT-scan – to tell my doctors if the diverticulitis has completely been fixed. And it was and I’m done,” PBBM asserted.

“And once again, I think it’s very easy and very clear that I’m in very, very good health,” the President enthused.

A Singaporean doctor flew in quietly and double checked PBBM’s diverticulitis. It is still there but what’s important is it won’t flare up again.

An equally exasperated First Lady Liza Marcos, or FLAM as she is fondly dubbed, stepped in to break the rumor mills. Active in her own social media engagements, FLAM posted in her personal Instagram photos and video of her dinner date with very much up-and-about husband in a pricy restaurant in Solaire Hotel last Saturday night.

“We were so touched when the two young girls approached our table and asked for a ‘selfie’ with the President,” FLAM shared in her Instagram post. She would later joke that her Ilocano husband grudgingly paid for the expensive dinner they had. But it was worth it to let the truth out.

Obviously not satisfied just showing off his physical fitness, PBBM brandished a piece of paper as a proof of life. It was a copy of his prepared statement dated April 13 that he later read at the press conference. It was to prove that it was not a taped interview of previous days. It was also to refute the rumors he was not the same person who walked the steep slope of Mt. Samat, Bataan where he led the traditional rites for Araw ng Kagitingan last April 9 at the Dambana ng Kagitingan.

“I am healthy. You want me to do more jumping jacks?” Any takers?