Ailing Noy fails to meet visiting IMF chief

MANILA, Philippines - Feeling under the weather, President Aquino cancelled his morning appointment yesterday with visiting International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde.

“May trangkaso, sabay ng ubo at sipon (The flu, cough and colds),” the President said in a text message, referring to his condition to explain the cancellation of his meeting with Lagarde.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing they were informed of the President’s condition at 9 a.m. or an hour before Lagarde’s courtesy call – Aquino’s first appointment for the day.

“He is really not feeling well. So in the end, when it was already 9 a.m., the President advised that, unfortunately, he (could not) receive Madame Lagarde,” Valte said.

She said she was not very sure about the President’s ailment. “Normally, it’s usually the President’s stomach that really bothers him, the same thing that happened during the visit in New Zealand and Australia (late October),” Valte said.

But Valte said the President would continue with his work and that documents would be brought to Bahay Pangarap, his official residence.

Despite his condition, Valte said there were no indications that the President would not be able to make it to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cambodia beginning tomorrow.

Aquino and his delegation are set to leave today for Phnom Penh.

“The President usually takes the day before any foreign trip to prepare for the summit. So we will just send everything to Bahay Pangarap,” Valte said.

While in Canberra, Aquino said he also suffered from colds and allergies that forced him to leave the official dinner hosted for him by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The President said he had to rest as he did not want his condition to worsen. Aquino also said he had acid reflux and a feeling of fatigue for not taking a day off.