Duterte boasts he has good immune system

CEBU, Philippines —  President Rodrigo Duterte believes that he has a good immune system as even at the age of 73, he remains healthy and has no issues including bowel movement.

 "I don’t know about this inflammatory. No, I’m not joking. But I’m just trying to tell you, my bowel movement is very good. It’s very — it’s soft, actually," the president said that drew laughter from the audience.

The president spoke before the Asia-Pacific Association of Gastroenterology 3rd Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Clinical Forum in Shangri-La's Mactan Hotel Resort and Spa last Friday.

Duterte said that based on his observation since he became president, about 40 percent of his soldiers and policemen suffer abdominal disorders.

"I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the food. You know, when the soldier, they go to the mountains, drink the water without purifiers and it’s just because it’s a spring in the mountain, you will just easily conclude that it’s clean, that it is pure," said Duterte who admitted undergoing colonoscopy and endoscopy about a week ago.

The president also said that he used to have abdominal pains a few years ago but taking one cup of bird’s nest and a probiotic drink helped him recover.

The convention dubbed as "CEBU 2018" is the third clinical forum on inflammatory bowel diseases.

It focused on discussions about updates in the understanding of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of IBD.

IBD is a debilitating disease with very debilitating symptoms of bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and even fistula formation. It may imply a lifelong course of recurring episodes of remission and exacerbation of the illness.

IBD is increasing in Asia and experts believe that the external environmental factors are contributory to the increased incidence, be it through new dietary or lifestyle changes in Asia.

Current research has observed that industrialization, increasing affluence and westernization of practices, lifestyle and diet experienced in Asia these days may increase the risk of IBD in the population. — MBG (FREEMAN)