Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Is Duterte ill?

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Watch the video below at the end of this piece

By Raïssa Robles

Lately, President Rodrigo Duterte has been making statements about stepping down from office because he is “tired”.

It is hard to make an objective assessment of what “tired” means, because he has kept his official medical doctor away from the media.

On Monday August 13, however, a video of him showed his right hand shaking very visibly but momentarily.

No one really saw it except for a sharp-eyed netizen who goes by the handle @Alex1121. He posted this comment on my site:

@Alex1121

Palagay ko po ay malubha na ang sakit ng pangulo, kaya hindi po sya naka pag bigay ng pahayag sa naka lipas na araw.
na obserbahan ko po ito sa GMA news kahapon na nanginginig ang kamay ni Du30 at basag na boses nya.

I looked for the said video. @Alex1121 was right.

Duterte’s hand shook slightly but very visibly.

I am posting the video below, extracted from the official video of Radio TV Malacanang, to show how Duterte looked after MIA (missing in action) for all of the weekend while strong torrential rains nearly flooded Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.

I hope that the presidential palace will disclose his true state of health, since this impacts on the state of the nation. Duterte has only admitted to having Buerger’s disease, Barrett’s Esophagus, GERD and a spinal injury.

It is highly unusual for a Philippine president to keep talking about stepping down from office.

And highly unconstitutional for the same president to invite the military to put together a military junta to replace him, if ever.

Here is the video:

Comments

  1. Ang dami niyong negatibong sinasabi. Kayo? Ano ba talaga ang nagawa ninyong mabuti para sa bayan natin? Imbes na puro masasamang bagay ang sinasabi at iniisip ninyo laban sa ating Pangulong Duterte, ipagdasal na lang natin ang kanyang kalusugan! We have to respect the result of the election, that he won as our President and will serve our country for 6years! Ang gagaling niyo kasing lahat pero ang totoo duwag kayo sa responsibilities! Saka na po kayo magsalita ng kung ano-ano, kung kayo mismo, sa sarili niyong pamamaraan, nakakatulong ng totoo sa pamilya niyo, kapwa at bayan niyo.

    • I respect the results of the 2016 elections but remain critical of certain Duterte policies like tokhang accompanying his “war” on drugs.

      Oh by the way, welcome to Cyber Plaza Miranda.

    • Oy, hindi naman kami ang presidente at di kayang gumawa para sa ikabubuti ng lahat ng Filipino! Lahat kami dito ay nagsisikap para di magutom ang aming pamilya at makatapos ng pag-aaral ang mga anak. Pero ngayon, mas mahirap ang buhay. Lahat mataas ang presyol mababa ang piso kontra Dolyar, pati ang kriminalidad mas grabe, kurapsyon mas masahol, mas maraming nagsasabi na mahirap sila.

      Aber, and ba ang nagawa ni Duterte? At kung magsalita si Duterte, parang bangag!

      • agree po ako, bangag yang amo ni cath. unsa kuno ang nabuhat nato, ano ang nagawa natin? porbida, cath must have been under thick drug haze not to know what the likes of us been doing. we have been upholding and uplifting the country the president is hellbent in sending to hell! we have held the rule of law the president is hell bent on destroying, we have provided checks and balances (!) the president is bent on demolishing.

        ano kuno ang nagawa natin? we have been paying taxes just so the kaban ng bayan is replenished, the money waldas by that mukhang uling holed up in malakanyang! so many trips abroad, junket trips that mostly got him jet lag and rarely benefited the country. I think, we should all be commended for hanging on and bringing in a semblance of normalcy to the chaos mukhang uling imposes.

        marami kaming nagawa, surviving floods, typhoons, sakunas. we have survived the president’s lies, fake news and misdirection, also corrected some of the president’s kagaguhan and still correcting, pointing out the evils of his ways.

        at mas marami pa kaming magagawa coz we gonna kick out mukhang uling’s cohorts and dastardly minions this coming election 2019!

    • cath, since you’re big on respecting the result of election 2016, could you tell that to bong marcos as well?

      • sa kadami-dami yata ng mga nagdarasal sa kalusugan ng presidente, ayan nagmukhang uling tuloy. greedy for prayers kasi, he, he, he. nasubrahan.

        not on the quantity of prayers yan, kundi quality of prayers with sincerity and humility.

        methink, god has sense of humor and duly marked the president’s face. if cain has sign on his forehead that marked him for killing his own brother abel, the president also has mark on his face, ulling! he, he, he.

  2. I’d say Do30’s disease is extremely infectious that it created fatigue and blindness on most of the citizenry.

    If he is a benevolent father of the land, his wishes should be the utmost benefit to his children, the people. What he does is selling the country with its people to China.

    He is legalizing crime on drugs by killing users but can’t legalize drugs because it would not make money for the family and cartel, he is bowing down to financial pressure from China because of mutual interest, giving more on the side of China.

    The country is tops on the drug warfare, ALREADY ON societal collapse and beginning steps to sicken people by unknown vaccines and strange drugs coming from that country. And this government has slashed down emergency funds for calamities,,,CALAMITIES also come in forms of epidemics and pandemics, viruses and strange disease.

    Read here:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/health/china-flu-virus-samples.html

    “Despite persistent requests from government officials and research institutions, China has not provided samples of the dangerous virus, a type of bird flu called H7N9. In the past, such exchanges have been mostly routine under rules established by the World Health Organization.”

    China is taking care of DO30 health, but is D030 taking care of the Filipinos’ health? Think!!

    China is making drug problems worsen by tons of supply of toxic drugs, did Do30 do anything to stop the flood of supply?

    Yes he did, he ordered killing to nanlaban and rivals in the drug business and saturating the streets with opioids like in other countries.

    Evil China wants to be the top country in this century, no doubt.

    Read here:
    https://www.history.com/news/opioid-chemical-weapons-moscow-theater-hostage-crisis

    After all this, yes people are still fatigue just waiting for this government serving on the plate, ” What’s for dinner, TATAY DIGZ?”

  3. I watched the video and also noticed that DU30’s voice was not right

    some cause of unstable hand shaking (well at least to healthline.com are of the following
    – seizure
    – overactive thyroid
    – cerebellar disease
    – Huntington’s disease
    – medication side effects
    – caffeine overdose
    – alcohol abuse or addiction
    – anxiety
    – low blood sugar

    • scripted and was acting accordingly? friend niya si robin padilla, he, he, he, award winning movie directors friends din niya, natural lang yong mgaling umarte si digong. ganon din si arroyo magaling umarte, fooled everyone with her wheelchair and neckbrace.

      low blood sugar, sayang hindi nag-collapse si digong; staggered, fallen down and dragging the mic with him, o kaya napaluhod. pero, no worries, he’ll do better next time and after much rehearsal in front of a mirror, changing his intonation, maybe changing his air color making it a bit grey, his make up a shade lighter, his acting will be 2nd to none and more will be fooled.

      and up on stage na naman siya and telling the media and nationwide audience and all those who dare to listen, na tired na naman siya and thinking of steeping down uli. he, he, he, and each time he blabbed, bite uli ang audience reading more and more into his acting, and health sec duque can only shake his head.

      digong likes to play the sick role, liking it even more when people fuss over him.

      I’ll trust health sec duque when he said, all is well with digong, as well as can be expected of one his age.

    • You guys are over reacting..
      He”s not shivering! He’s making gestures using his hands!!
      In regards to his voice.. he’s tire!!
      You people focus on yourself pls!!

    • china is number one supplier of shabu to pinas. each time may drug operations yang mga chinese, scramblers are used, killing all communications signals.

  5. the bar supporters set for idol politicians are way below acceptable lows which is why there is this problem now.

    a simple govt em’loyee would be in jail already for a tiny fraction of their crimes.

  6. Pres. Duterte, no doubt, is ill.
    At his age 73 years just like anybody else,
    he is ill.

    He is going out of it. He has played
    long enough to be heartily tired
    of the drama.

    Whether he acted his part as President
    well or ill, posterity will judge him with
    more candor. He cannot pretend.

    Quit if you want to quit. But quit without
    a sigh and submit to the sovereign order
    without murmuring.

    He better understand the true
    value of his position and the weight
    of the people’s opinions.

    Quit now if you are tired. Throw
    away the tales along the rattles that
    you have nursed.

    You entered into it now you are going
    out of it.

    You suggested to Sen. Pacquiao
    after the latter’s boxing win in Macao
    to QUIT out of it. Why not you Sir?

    Taken thoughts I owe.

    • If in fact the President is sick, isn’t it incumbent upon himself to let the public know that he is not physically fit to fulfill his duties as President, or what is the qualifications for President to be consider fit for duty???

  7. SO MUCH SYMBOLISM IN THAT SKIDDED CHINESE JETLINER

    I find so much parallel in that Chinese jetliner that skidded off the runway in NAIA and our situation with China on the West Phil Sea.

    1. The timetable to clear the runway keeps getting pushed back, similar to what Duterte keeps on saying about the Hague ruling on the WPS- that he will use it someday, just not now. (it will never happen)

    2. Just like that jetliner, China will keep on hampering Philippine well-being, specially our economy, our fish catch and our sovereignty.

    So we ask, TATAY, TATAY BAKIT MO PINAMIGAY? (Phil sovereignty)

    • andrewlim8’s “So we ask, TATAY, TATAY BAKIT MO PINAMIGAY? (Phil sovereignty),” methink po the time for questioning is gone, pinamigay na ang inheritance ng mga bata, at nabigay na nuon pa. asking why will illicit only a shrug of his shoulder, a shuffle, a pout, a back tract to dabaw, your name added to narco list, he, he, he. with kapolisan paying you unwanted visit. and more explanation yet from tiresome roque . . .

      kiddo, want your inheritance back? gotta fight to get it back, yell, scream, harass, shout to the high road, holler! file a legal case, challenge the decision, do anything, hwag lang yong do nothing. if tatay is inept, why refer to him po? step over him, have him certified, and challenge his decision, show displeasure by being tinik at his sides, he, he, he.

      honor thy father . . . he’s not my father po, I dont have his dna. he’s a tormentor! the nation’s worst nightmare.

  10. “Duterte joining Sara’s regional party”

    “As the party that propelled him to the presidency struggles with disunity, President Duterte takes his oath today as a member of what is being branded as a regional party organized by his daughter Sara

    “President Duterte, chairman of the PDP-Laban, is taking his oath today as member of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) at the SMX Convention Center” (Davao City)

    https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/08/16/1843406/duterte-joining-saras-regional-party

    With this development and the fact that PRRD is obviously sick and very tired, it is apparent that he is grooming his daughter for future national leadership under a dominant new party – first as a senator next year and, who knows, as a presidential contender in 2022.

    I like Sara’s strong and decisive leadership being shown as the current mayor of Davao City – as opposed to bongbong and chiz earlier preferred by her father.

    Could this be a glimmer of hope in the eerie grave yard of darkness?

      • exactly! two of a kind sila. in her father’s words, sara is drama queen, mana sa tatay who is top notch drama king. may sakit kuno, kaluoy naman, pagod na kuno, gusto ng mag-step down kuno, may-tremor ang kamay, tapos ayan nag-leapfrog ng husto sa dabaw at umepal duon.

        not resting ang hapo na kaayo, not so much as putting his feet up, but out and about and making mischief! busy, busy busy directing ang hugpong ng mga recycled! pagbabago kuno pero ang nakita ko sa hugpong-hugpong na yan ay way two much fist pumping-pumping, daig pa ang bicycle pump ng kuya ko! he, he, he.

        ang daming mga recycled faces, same, same. the more they sprouted chance, they more they stay the same. change is coming, unchain my heart, baby set me free! the fruit does not fall far from the tree. kung ganon ang puno, yan din ang bunga, minana ang fist pumping-pumping – pumping station! parang gasolinahan, he, he, he.

        the same name, the same values, the same family, the same dynasty, the same dna!

        • sara’s strong and decisive leadership, bulla makangka! is that why her tatay ay hindi napapakali at palaging umuuwi sa dabaw? gotta watch over daughter, constantly looking over her shoulder and minding dabaw for her, he, he, he. when in manila, president si duterte, when in dabaw, de facto mayor siya, part time president, part time mayor overseeing sara, kaya sadsad ang pinas, walang full time presidente kasi.

          strong kuno si sara and yet, cannot convince her father to leave dabaw to her ministrations, that dabaw is in good hands and no need for him to worry about dabaw and constantly popping there, bobbing his head like a cork. that he can devote himself to his job of being president, minding pinas, not baby sitting dabaw and incubating sara, he, he, he.

    • Sarah talagang strong sya

      but don’t forget that strong Sheriff SLAP !

      natakot yun Sheriff at nawala !

      maybe less mura but dami SAMPAL !

      Note: Sana sampalin nya yun mga korupts
      opisyales before firing ’em !

      sana sana sanaaaa !

      • If not Sara, who are the most serious contenders that will sit in Malacanang in 2022?

        1. Robredo – a nice woman of beauty and brain but lacks experience and fully dependent on the yellows – who, in 6- years of incumbency, accomplished largely the following:

        A. Failure to solve tanim bala
        B. Successfully neck-braced GMA on trumped-up non-bailable charges that were all dismissed
        C. Immediately changed the efficient Sumitomo, maintainer of LRT-MRT, by an inexperienced and under-capitalized but favored BURI
        D. Highly questionable and hastily purchased Dengvaxia vaccines a few weeks before the 2016 presidential election

        2. Bongbong Marcos – Beneficiary of his parent’s well-documented looting of public funds
        http://www.spikeinmanila.com/2015/10/philippine-worship-of-evil/

        • I cannot discount 3.GMA
          to be in Malacanang on
          May 2022.

          How she will get there, I really
          dunno wanna know

          but she will as what is
          the use of ‘I AM BACK!’

          he he

        • It was reported that gma won by cheating FPJ thru “Hello Garci” which she can’t do anymore because of election automation

        • We still don’t know how automated elections can be gamed.

          The election of Marcos Jr. is the first one that ever reached this stage. Mar Roxas dropped his.

  11. Masamang damo mahirap mamatay yan unit unti dahan dahang pahihirapan ng diyos katulad ni herodes inuod Ang katawan kahit buhay pa pinarusan han ng diyos

  12. I think the President is really very sick and really wanted to take a much needed rest! But his constant harping that he prefers BBM over VP Robredo to be his successor when he resigns from the Presidency could mean that he is apt to something sinister and that should make us become very much afraid!