People are wondering where PRRD is–Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo had the answers…let’s read

Speculations arose as images of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte became scarce once more. People had been used to hearing their president speak that whenever he suddenly disappears from public view, some citizens start talking and speculating where he is.

Is he again taking a medical leave? Is he recuperating from a very serious illness?

Blame Mr. Duterte himself. When he was still running for the presidency, Mr. Duterte did not mince his words– he admitted that he is suffering from a lingering illness. He even explained his numerous actions as actions of a sick man. How sick he really is is a matter of speculation. Many sees him as sick as hell. Others say he is as strong as a bull.

Mr. Duterte is not the only president whose health was a subject of people’s speculations. It began with former president Joseph Estrada. Estrada was in his late sixties when he assumed the presidency. That explains why people questioned his health. People think that Erap was not an effective president because of his age.

During Mrs. Arroyo’s time as president, her health was also a subject of intense rumours. Her successor former president Pnoy also became a victim of ridicule for reportedly having a deficient mental state of mind.

Had Duterte not revealed his true state of health, I doubt if people would even talk about this, seeing him going to events after events and giving those speeches with nary a sign of him suffering from some form of pain or what.

Duterte even lambasted columnist Kit Tatad for writing in his Manila Times column that the President was reportedly suffering from a kidney problem.

My own sources tell me that yes, Duterte is always suffering from several forms of pain and this is partly due to his Buergers disease and old age. Duterte is simply not that young anymore and everyone knows how tough the job of a president is.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo had been asked about Mr. Duterte’s health and unlike previous answers by presidential spokesmen, Panelo gave a very nice answer.

” He (President Duterte) is indispose because he has so many documents to sign, so many private meetings which he attended and is attending.”

Panelo is learning the right way of handling this issue. Instead of outrightly dismissing the question, Panelo had the courage to tell us something which immediately created an image of a working president instead of someone sick and ready to meet Death.