BESET by questions about his health, presidential bet and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, 70, said Friday he would accept administration candidate Manuel Roxas II’s challenge for him to open his medical records to public scrutiny if Roxas proves that he is “cut”—a euphemism for circumcised.
Last week, Roxas said he was healthy enough to withstand the rigors of a presidential campaign and dared Duterte to reveal his medical history.
Duterte said he would never accept the challenge “as a matter of policy,” but later issued a statement that he was willing to disclose his medical records, “but on one condition.”
“Show us you’re cut,” he said, referring to Roxas.
The mayor’s official spokesman, Peter Laviña, made light of Duterte’s comment.
“Duterte has always looked at Mar Roxas as someone unfit to lead the country—someone who is not cut out for the position,” he said. “That was what the mayor meant when he dared Roxas to prove that he is cut.”
On Friday, Duterte admitted he had acute bronchitis on top of his Buerger’s Disease, a recurring inflammation and clotting of small and medium arteries and veins of the hands and feet.
Speaking to reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, Duterte broke his silence about his health after he suffered a migraine attack while inside the Crowne Plaza Galleria Hotel in Pasig City for a speaking engagement before members of the Philippine Society of Hypertension and The Philippine Lipid and Arthrosclerosis Society on Thursday afternoon.
He said he was taken to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City for a check-up on that day, and stayed overnight at the hospital.
“I stayed there overnight. I am on antibiotics. I have to continue the medication. I am going home now. I am okay,” he said.
Migraine attacks are common occurrences associated with his slipped or bulging disc due to a motorcycle accident, he said.
“Because of my spinal [problem], that [Thursday] morning, my headache became severe. I have this spinal issue,” he added.
At the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, he was diagnosed with bronchitis, and was told by his physicians to take a rest for at least two to three days.
According to Duterte, he forgot to take his maintenance medicine, and dismissed speculation that he suffered a mild stroke.
“Don’t be worried about my health. Worry about yourselves,” he said.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate, earlier told the media waiting for Duterte at the Crowne Plaza Hotel that the Davao City mayor suffered from a migraine attack, and was just in a holding area taking a rest.
Duterte was walking his way through the hallway when he stopped and leaned on the wall.
Cayetano spoke on Duterte’s behalf at the convention.
Duterte said he gave instructions to his staff to tell the media he was still in the hotel.
Last year, the PDP-Laban presidential bet admitted to having Buerger’s Disease, a debilitating ailment that causes extreme pain from spasms in veins clogged as a result of either smoking or high cholesterol levels, or both.
The condition could be fatal if blood clots travel from the clogged veins to the patient’s lungs or other sensitive organs.
Mortality among those whose lungs are compromised is about 95 percent.
Because his illness was caused by smoking, Duterte said he banned smoking in Davao City.
He, however, denied he had throat cancer, accusing Roxas of spreading the rumor.
He then said he had a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, a serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, due to drinking.
A spokesman for the PDP-Laban also tried to allay fears about the mayor’s health.
“There’s no need to worry about the health of Mayor Duterte,” said Poala Alvarez, party spokeswoman. “He just needs to take a brief respite from his hectic campaign schedule.”
“We can assure everyone, including his supporters throughout the country that Mayor Duterte can very well sustain the rigors of a nationwide campaign in the run-up to the May elections,” she added.
Alvarez said doctors are monitoring Duterte’s medical condition after he suffered a migraine attack.
“Mayor Duterte is hale and hearty and determined to go out and meet and greet his supporters across the country to expound on his platform of governance anchored on peace and order, inclusive economic growth ad equality under the law,” Alvarez said.
Duterte’s camp on Friday also accused Roxas of using the government’s Bottom Up Budgeting to bribe local chief executives to support the administration bet.
Laviña said the BUB was Roxas’ campaign kitty.
On Thursday, Roxas said he would allot an additional P100 billion, or the equivalent of P1,000 for each of the 100 million residents in local government units, including barangays, under the expanded BUB program if elected president.
“After three years of implementing this program, we are now ready to expand this program not only for towns but it will be BUB for the barangays. All 42,000 barangays will be part of this program,” Roxas said during the Liga ng Barangay sa Pilipinas Forum held at the PICC in Pasay City on Thursday.
Laviña said this was tantamount to dangling P1,000 in front of local officials to promote Roxas’ presidential bid.
“Mar [Roxas] is holding the life of every Filipino hostage by dangling P1,000 at the start of his presidential campaign, conditioning it on his fate come May 9,” he said.
“How this money is supposed to be spent under the BUB process is very questionable. The whole premise of this promise is questionable,” he added.
Roxas spokesman and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez dismissed the accusation.
“It is unfortunate, but unsurprising, that Mayor Duterte does not understand the concept of the BUB. It is in no way similar to a bribe and Mayor Duterte would know this if he had bothered to read up on it,” Gutierrez said.
