Duterte should disclose his health status: Spokesman

Manila - Duterte said in a speech on Thursday that he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte should consider publicly disclosing the state of his health to stop speculation after revealing he underwent medical tests that may show if he has cancer, his spokesman said on Friday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a news conference that the president can't be compelled to disclose his health condition under the constitution unless he has a serious illness, but that he plans to ask Duterte to issue a statement on his health to end the uncertainty.
"I will tell, perhaps, we need to issue a medical bulletin, whether or not it's serious. Perhaps we would need to bring in your physician because it's the only way to stop all talk about your health," Roque said.
Duterte said in a speech on Thursday that he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago but his doctor was advised this week to repeat the tests with tissue samples, which may show whether he has cancer.
The tests aim to diagnose any abnormality in the digestive tract and colon.
"I don't know where I'm now physically but I have to wait for that. But I would tell you if it's cancer, it's cancer," the 73-year-old Duterte told a military gathering. Duterte added that "if it's third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong the agony in this office or anywhere".
Asked to disclose more details about Duterte's condition, Roque said he did not know much but that the president had disclosed in a meeting that doctors needed to do another test "because they wanted to be sure that there was a growth and that they wanted to know more about the growth".

• Philippines