Where Is Duterte? Philippine President Releases Photo With Family To End Speculation On Health

The family of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, age 74, has released a photo in what may be an attempt to allay fears that he is in poor health and unable to continue his presidential activities.

In the photo he seen is sitting at a table with his right hand resting on it. To his left is his daughter Veronica, age 15. To his right forefront is his current wife Honeylet Avanceña, age 49. No obvious signs of ill health can be seen in the image.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo explained that the president had not been seen in the past week because he was busy with paperwork and some private meetings. He did admit to Inquirer.net that Duterte had undergone a recent colonoscopy, an endoscopy and was having regular blood tests. It is known that he suffers from Buerger’s disease, migraines, and back pains possibly caused by his youthful tobacco use.

Duterte’s mother lived to be 95 years old while his father passed away at age 56. Filipino males are avid smokers so it may be that Duterte has made it to age 74 because he gave up smoking and drinking “several decades” ago. In 2017 he signed an executive order for a nationwide smoking ban.

Duterte is not the first elected world leader to masquerade as healthy during their administration. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the only U.S. four-term president was crippled by polio during WW 2. He wore painful leg braces to enable him to stand during important events and he was able to conceal his use of a wheelchair, relatively easy to do before the age of smartphones. Another U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, suffered from Addison’s disease and back issues during his brief presidency.

Duterte is certain to know that appearing weak during his upcoming meetings with China will not bode well for the Philippines and that he will have to be his usual fiery self.

He also seemed to accept his mortality when he said in a speech before the military officers in Malacañang that, “I don’t know where I’m now physically, but I have to wait for that. But I will tell you if it’s cancer, it’s cancer. If it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong the agony in this office or anywhere,” Duterte said in reference to his recent tests.

The average life span for males in the Philippines is 66 years but this is undoubtably affected by high poverty levels in certain areas of the country.