MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Friday people deserve to know the state of President Rodrigo Duterte’s health, which he said is a public concern.
“The health of the president of any country is not his or his family’s private affair alone. It is a matter of public concern,” Lacson said, thus Malacañang should “disclose the current state of health of the president if only to quell any speculation about his health. The public deserves nothing less.”
Speculation on Duterte’s health began swirling after he dropped out of sight beginning with his no-show at Independence Day rites.
On Thursday, the Palace said he was okay and just needed to rest. Later in the day photos showing him with his close aide Christopher Bong Go at his Malacañang residents and at Villamor Airbase before flying hoe to Davao were released.
At the same time, Lacson acknowledged tha Duterte “is presently exposed to all kinds of stress and physical exhaustion due to numerous problems besetting the country, not to mention the sight of our soldiers being transported in coffins by military aircraft with all the grieving families waiting to bring them to their respective provinces.”
“That indeed is very stressful,” he said.