MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is unlike his predecessor Benigno Aquino III, who, during his speeches, often had coughing fits that were attributed to his smoking habit.
But on Monday, August 28, while in San Fernando, Pampanga to support the province’s influenza-hit poultry industry, Duterte, like Aquino, was hit by excessive coughing that disrupted his speech.
At the beginning of his talk, before his chicken boodle fight with officials and residents of Pampanga, including former President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Duterte told the audience that his coughing attack could have been because of his allergy to flowers.
The chief executive went to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City Monday morning to celebrate National Heroes Day there and offer flowers to the country’s fallen heroes.
“Galing kasi ako sa wreath-laying, lagi ako sa bulaklak [I came from a wreath-laying ceremony, I was always near the flowers],” he told Pampangueños.
But his cough attack did not distract the audience as Duterte’s self-deprecating humor kept Pampangueños entertained.
As he was speaking about food security and the food chain that included the thousands of influenza-hit fowls that were culled in Pampanga, Duterte again coughed and then joked that someone could either be swearing at him or backbiting him, which he said was unusual because he had no enemies in Pampanga where he won during last year’s polls.
“May nagmumura sa akin sa labas. Hindi na ito ‘yong…may nakapa-backbite sa’yo, wala naman akong kalabanan dito sa Pampanga, nanalo nga ako…” he said.
After talking about the “resiliency” of Pampanga residents and the country’s corruption problem, Duterte again coughed and jested that he had to clear his throat because he saw a beautiful woman and then adding that it is in Pampanga where one one can see the most number of attractive women with fair skin and high-bridged noses.
“May nakita kasi akong maganda…ganon ako…Kaya pinakamaraming maganda sa buong Pilipinas nakita ko Pampangueña…’Yong genealogy, maputi, may ilong talaga, ‘yong ibang lugar flat lands.”
He was again attacked by constant cough after thanking government officials and troops for helping affected poultry raisers “defray their losses,” prompting him to tell the audience to read for him his speech.
“Pakibasa [Read this for me],” the President said, eliciting laughter from the audience.
He then told them not to bring flowers during his wake or they would see the one and only dead who still coughs.
“Pati sa burol ko huwag kayong magpadala ng bulaklak baka maubo ako nang maubo d’yan sa ilalim ng kabaong. Ako lang ang makita n’yo na patay na ubo nang ubo.”
