Duterte buys yellow jackets in Hong Kong

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte flew to Hong Kong over the weekend to spend time with his partner Cielito Avanceña and their daughter Veronica, as well as to shop for yellow jackets.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, who joined the President and his family, posted photos of Duterte going around Causeway Bay on Saturday.

“Before the fake news peddlers say something else, the President also needs to rest,” Go said in Filipino on Facebook.

Go uploaded the photos hours after presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. claimed that Duterte was in Davao City. 

“(Duterte) is now in Davao,” Roque said in a text message to the media minutes past 5 p.m. on Saturday.

It was not the first time that officials provided conflicting information about Duterte’s whereabouts.

Last Wednesday, rumors swirled that Duterte was rushed to hospital after he skipped the turnover of a check by the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. 

Roque claimed on Thursday that Duterte skipped the event to spend the day off. Go also denied that Duterte was admitted to a hospital and expressed readiness to put his life at stake for his statement.

But hours later, Duterte admitted going to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center last Wednesday and revealed that his Barrett’s esophagus has gotten worse. 

Duterte acquired Barrett’s esophagus – a medical condition linked to smoking and heavy drinking – when he was younger.

In its website, British charity group Macmillan Cancer Support said Barrett’s esophagus is not a cancer, but it could develop into cancer in a small number of people.

The main cause of Barrett’s esophagus is acid reflux, which happens when acid or bile in the stomach juices splashes back into the esophagus, the group said. 

In one of the photos in Hong Kong, Duterte is seen checking out shoes. Duterte is also photographed having dinner with his three companions.

Duterte flew by private jet late afternoon and arrived at the autonomous Chinese territory in a little over two hours. 

Photos in social media early last night also showed Duterte wearing a facemask. 

Shopping for yellow

While in Causeway Bay, Duterte visited a shop that displayed predominantly yellow jackets.

Duterte gamely paused amid all the yellow — the color associated with the opposition Liberal Party that has remained critical of his administration. – With Alexis Romero