Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Sunday called for the disclosure of the state of President Rodrigo Duterte’s health.
He made the call amid the President’s repeated remarks about his being tired and his plan of resigning from office.
“This is not the first time we heard from the President that he wants to resign. More often, we would also hear from his speeches and rants about being tired and experiencing illnesses due to old age,” Alejano said in a statement.
“The public has the right to know the health status of the President.”
In a speech in Malacañang on Aug. 14, Duterte recalled telling the military and police officials during the joint command conference on Aug. 7 that he planned to step down.
“Guys, I want you to know that I am thinking of stepping down because I’m tired. While I am not angry against anybody, my chase against graft and corruption seems to be endless. It has contaminated almost all government departments and offices,” Duterte said.
Alejano, who is a staunch critic of Duterte, said the President’s health was a matter of public interest.
He said the Constitution provides that the public should be informed about the President’s health in case of serious illness.
“A lot are worried on the deteriorating health of the President. His long absences from the public eye even during important events raise speculations on the health of Duterte,” Alejano said.
Duterte has also said he prefers a junta taking over from him instead of a constitutional succession.
But Alejano said the Constitution should be observed as regards succession, and the military should be reminded of this.
“I trust that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is a professional organization. Our soldiers swore to follow the Constitution and the laws of the land,” he said.
“I believe that however Duterte wants to push the idea of a military junta, this would not happen because this is not what is enshrined in the Constitution. The military knows and understands this very well.”