Duterte admits suffering illnesses related to old age

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte admited that at his age, 74, he is suffering from health woes that  come with a person getting older.

“At kung sabihin mong may sakit ako, meron (If you talk about my being sick, yes). You name it, I have it. Para wala na lang (So there won’t be any) debate,” said Duterte.

Duterte said he has been beset by various illnesses related to his being 74-years-old. 

“Lahat ng sakit, nandito na sa akin kasi matanda na ako. Kung sabihin mo, OK ka ba President (All the sicknesses, I have them because I’m old. If you ask me, are you OK Mr. President)? Are you in the best of health? Of course not. I am old, life has begun to take its toll on my health,” Duterte told GMA TV during a trip to Tacloban City the other day. 

The President has taken at least three days to slow down and work from home here in Davao City since last Tuesday.

On Friday the President conferred posthumous awards on the six slain soldiers and 24 others who were wounded in an encounter with New People’s Army rebels in Borongan, Samar last week.

The President has been advised to slow down since his work is taking its toll on him.

There are also times that the President would skip certain engagements like dinners, especially during foreign trips, to rest.

Being a nocturnal person, Duterte also lacks sleep and usually starts his workday at 1 p.m.

Duterte likewise announced last month that he was suffering from myasthenia gravis, a disease that causes muscle weakness, which affects the movement of his eyes. 

And the President also suffers from extreme back pain after he an accident recently while alighting from his motorbike at the Malacañang grounds.

The accident caused the President excruciating pain that forced him to cut short his trip to Tokyo, Japan last Oct. 22 for the enthronement of Emperor Nahurito.

The President also nursed “a very bad case of the cold” while he was on a state visit to Russia upon the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

He also previously said he has Buerger’s disease, a rare illness that mostly affects smokers.

The disease causes pain in the hands, feet, arms and legs caused by constriction of the blood vessels due to nicotine.

Duterte also suffers from Barrett’s disease that involves the tissues in the esophagus.