MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said the public does not need to be informed of President Rodrigo Duterte’s health condition as it is “not serious.”
“There was no consensus to what extent information on the president’s health will be divulged. We will abide with the provision of the Constitution,” Roque said in a Palace press briefing held amid his leave of absence.
“We take it that whatever the president has is not serious for the constitutional provision to apply, so we leave it at that,” he added.
Roque made the statement a day after media reports saying that the president told his Cabinet that he is cancer-free.
Last week, Duterte missed the turnover of a check donation from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation supposedly scheduled on Wednesday last week, October 3.
This absence strengthened rumors that he was hospitalized.
Roque, Special Assistant to the President Bong Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea all denied that the president went to a hospital for a surgery.
The presidential spokesman even issued a video showing Duterte attending a joint force command conference to prove that the president is doing well.
However, on the same night of the conference, Duterte confirmed that he went to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center for some tests.
Duterte also vowed that he would inform the public if he has a serious illness.
Roque’s statement on Tuesday also came days after a new Social Weather Station survey revealing that 45 percent of adults believe that the president has health problems while 61 percent agree that it is a matter needed to be disclosed to the public.
READ: SWS: 45% of Filipinos believe Duterte has health problems
Amid health rumors, Duterte went to Hong Kong over the weekend to take a “rest.” He is also set to fly to Bali, Indonesia for an ASEAN Leaders gathering this week.