MANILA, Philippines— Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go once again issued contradicting statements regarding President Rodrigo Duterte’s whereabouts.
Duterte is now in Hong Kong with his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty to take a “rest” over the weekend.
Go, who is with the president in the sudden overseas trip, told Palace reporters that they arrived in Hong Kong early morning of Saturday. Roque, meanwhile, said Duterte was in Davao City around 5 p.m. of the same day.
Last week, the two officials both denied that Duterte paid a visit to the hospital amid reported “health rumors” on the president.
Duterte skipped the turnover of a check donation from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation supposedly slated on October 3.
This inexplicable absence of the president strengthened rumors that he went to a hospital for a surgery.
On Thursday, Roque dispelled the rumors on the president’s health and issued a video showing him attending a joint force command conference.
Duterte, however, confirmed that he was at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Wednesday for some tests.
The president and his companions are slated to arrive in Manila on Sunday.
On Sunday, a Social Weather Station survey revealed that 45 percent of adults believe the president has health problems and 61 percent also agree that it is a matter needed to be disclosed to the public.