The Doctor is (Still) Out: Media on Duterte’s Health

 

WITHOUT MEDICAL bulletins issued by President Rodrigo Duterte’s physician/s, public speculation on the health of the chief executive will continue. The apparent confusion among his own officials and their conflicting statements are not helping any.

On October 3, Duterte skipped attendance in a Pagcor event in Malacanang, with no reason given. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told the media in a morning briefing last October 4 that Duterte had only decided to spend some “private time” in his residence in Bahay Pagbabago. Roque said he had no information about Duterte going to the hospital. Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go also told the media that Duterte had not been admitted to any medical facility.

However, Duterte himself confirmed in the afternoon of the same day that he had indeed been to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and had stayed there for an hour for a “sample-taking,” which was a follow-up on the endoscopy and colonoscopy that he said he had undergone three weeks ago. Speaking before Philippine Military Academy alumni, he said he did not yet know what the results were yet, but that “if it’s cancer, it’s cancer. And if it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong my agony in this office or anywhere.”

Reporting on this development, media were persistent in inquiring into the president’s health and pointed out the need for medical information coming from the president’s physicians.

CMFR monitored the top three broadsheets (Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin), the four primetime news programs (ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol, GMA-7’s 24 Oras, TV5’s Aksyon and CNN Philippines’ News Night and Newsroom) and selected online news sites from October 4 to October 10.

‘Just Trust Him’

The media, particularly those covering the Palace, have been diligently monitoring the president’s activities, taking special note whenever Duterte misses scheduled appointments. Their reports during the monitor period pointed out that Duterte’s announcement about the tests that were done during his latest hospital visit contradicted the statements of Roque and Go.

The following day on October 4, 24 Oras and Aksyon showed a clip of the press briefing in which Roque expressed annoyance over those insisting that Duterte is sick, saying that he himself had checked if the president had marks from dialysis and had found none. Both reports then brought up the need for a medical bulletin,

Roque said that the public should just be assured—it should trust him– that Duterte will announce it if there is anything seriously wrong with his health.

Rappler echoed the same point in a report published on the same date: “Roque admitted growing ‘frustrated’ with how the media and the President’s critics keep harping on Duterte’s health. Why then does Malacañang not just issue medical bulletins to dispel rumors once and for all?”

Anchoring News Night’s October 5 episode, Ruth Cabal pointed out that this is the first time that Duterte had mentioned “cancer.” Ina Andolong, CNN Philippines’ Palace reporter, added that Roque has always said the president was fine, but this time it was inevitable for people to ask more questions because the president himself had mentioned it.

Reports did not forget to mention the Constitutional provision that the president must inform the public in case of a serious illness.

That Weekend in Hong Kong

The same inconsistency marred the information provided the official spokesperson about the president’s whereabouts that following weekend.

Reports in the Philstar.com, GMA News Online and Newsroom were quick to mention that Roque and Go had given the media conflicting answers as to where the president was. Roque said Duterte was in Davao, but Go, who was actually with the president, posted photos of Duterte, his common-law wife Cielito “Honeylet” Avancena and their daughter Veronica shopping in Hong Kong.

The Star opted to go along Bong Go’s projection of the trip as personal time with a headline “Rody buys yellow jackets in HK,” deeming it important to mention that the president was looking at clothes that were in the color “associated with the opposition Liberal Party that has remained critical  of his administration.”

The Bulletin’s report relied only on Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s statement that the president is very hardworking so he deserves to enjoy his private time. Andanar’s statement that Duterte’s conditions do not seem to hinder his performance of duties does not really help in clarifying his state of health.

The Patient Plays Doctor

Speaking before the Malacanang Press Corps on October 9, Duterte said his biopsy results came back and that he was cancer-free.

Some reports pointed out that despite admitting his condition verbally, Duterte still refused to issue a medical bulletin in the future because he claimed that the procedures he had undergone were “not for public consumption.”

As this administration continues to be secretive with the president’s health, the media need to continue its persistence in asking for the specifics of tests or procedures done to Duterte and not just rely on the testimonies of people who are not his attending physician. (See: “The President’s Conspicuous Absence: Questioning Duterte’s Health‘)