Duterte launches fight vs cancer

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – President Duterte has launched a fight against cancer during a recent visit in this city.

Duterte forged an alliance with the management of the Premiere Medical Center (PMC) in Barangay Daang Sarile here for the anti-cancer project.

The President was the guest of honor during the hospital’s 20th anniversary celebration on Jan. 18.

He was welcomed by PMC president Reynaldo Yang and his wife PMC director Sylvia Banal-Yang, provincial prosecutor Danilo Yang and other hospital officials.

Duterte congratulated the PMC for serving the people, saying doctors have the highest credibility among Filipino professionals because they deal with human lives.

“Even NPAs won’t hurt rural doctors. They have high respect for doctors because these crazy ones also get sick,” Duterte said referring to the New People’s Army rebels.

The President met with cancer patients confined at PMC’s Joseph Ray Banal Yang Cancer Institute.

The center was named after the Yang couple’s youngest son Joseph, who died of cancer at aged 16.

Duterte vowed to help finance the treatment of PMC’s cancer patients.

“We cannot afford to finance the treatment of the cancer patients. We need help and President Duterte said he would help us,” Danilo said.