PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte isn’t dead, says Malacanang, who hinted at the chief executive as fit and healthy amid reports of the national leader suffering from a stroke.
In warding off circulating news in the social media, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque claimed that Duterte continues to discharge his functions as President.
“President Rodrigo Duterte remains fit and healthy for his age and we thank the Filipino people for voicing their concern and wishing the Chief Executive’s strength and good health during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Roque said.
Roque’s statement came as an offshoot of trending posts and hash-tag #PatayNaSana in social media, in view of the admission of Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Jesus Durante III on quite a number of PSG men infected with the deadly virus from Wuhan, China.
Duterte who was supposed to give a public address last Monday, again missed another scheduled televised appearance which compelled his spokesperson to make an announcement postponing it to next week.
To quell the rumors regarding the President’s health condition, Duterte’s longtime aide and now Senator Bong Go posted a photo on social media showing him and his former boss, while working on a pile of paper works.
He also denied Duterte having been infected with COVID-19, adding that the President has tested negative for the disease in his most recent swab test.
Interestingly, the last time the President appeared in public was when he personally received one million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines.