Reports that Duterte rushed to hospital 'fake news' – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang described yesterday as “fake news” reports circulating on social media that President Duterte was rushed to hospital due to an illness.

“There is no truth to these rumors. In fact he will be here in Ipil to lead the celebration of Araw ng Ipil. So his appearance will belie all these false reports,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

“Please, it is in fact a crime to spread this kind of news,” Roque warned.

Roque was in Ipil ahead of the President, who was scheduled to be the keynote speaker during the town’s 69th founding anniversary celebration yesterday afternoon before flying back to Zamboanga City to visit the victims of a fire in Barangay Labuan composed of 400 families as well as the wounded soldiers at Camp Navarro General Hospital inside Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) later.

Speaking to local reporters at a briefing in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, Roque said the President was fine and was in Davao City as part of his regular out of town work when rumors about his hospitalization circulated.

Roque said the President went to have a regular checkup at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center the night before his State of the Nation Address last Monday but “he has not been to any medical facility since.”