MANILA, Philippines – Don’t ask President Duterte if he is sick.
“At this point in time, I am 72. Don’t ask me if I’m sick. Every 72-year-old in this world is sick,” the President declared, without waiting for anyone to ask him about his health, during his speech at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) regional convention in Manila Hotel Friday night.
He said his joke about God telling him to stop cursing had led some people to think he is crazy.
Speaking before the country’s lawyers, Duterte complained anew about his getting tired of the rigors of his job as the nation’s Chief Executive, even expressing willingness to pass his post on to anyone who would prove to do the job better.
“If this is the kind of job you are giving me, I could only endure so much; I think I deserve a needed rest,” he said.
He added there’s no need for a military coup, as he would relinquish his post to those who could offer a better solution to the country’s three main problems – drugs, criminality and corruption.
“If you want to remove me, fine; then I’ll just go to the forest. I have a hunting lodge there. I will spend my days there praying,” Duterte said, admitting that while he believes in God, he does not believe in any religion.
The President said he usually crosses the Pasig River at 1 p.m. to get to his office in Malacañang and works until 3 a.m. On other days, he said, when the folders pile up in his bedroom, he gets to sleep at 5 a.m., as he makes sure he finishes reading all the papers.
The President flies to his home in Davao City on weekends supposedly to rest, but still brings along some work.
Before his election in May, the former Davao City mayor admitted to be suffering from four illnesses – Buerger’s disease, Barrett’s esophagus, a respiratory infection and a slipped disc – all of which were allegedly not fatal.
Buerger’s Disease is an inflammation of blood vessels, mostly in the limbs, that has been traced to smoking.