Philippine President Duterte Said He Suffers From Rare Autoimmune Disease

Rumours about Duterte’s health have been circulating since he became president in 2016.
duterte russia moscow 2019
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (L) and members of the delegation listen to the state's anthem as they attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in central Moscow, on October 4, 2019, as a part of his official visit to Russia. Photo by Yuri KADOBNOV/POOL/AFP

Filipinos have speculated about President Rodrigo Duterte’s health ever since he assumed office in 2016 and on Saturday, Oct. 5, he said for the first time that he suffers from myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes a rapid fatigue of the muscles.

He revealed this while addressing the Filipino community in Moscow, Russia, Rappler reported.

“One of my eyes is smaller. It roams on its own,” Duterte said, according to a transcript released by his office on Sunday. “That’s myasthenia gravis. It’s a nerve malfunction. I got it from my grandfather.”

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According to the US National Institutes of Health, the condition causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body. Certain muscles such as those that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, chewing, talking, and swallowing are often (but not always) involved in the disorder.

Duterte, 74, is the oldest to be elected president of the Philippines. Because of this, rumours about his health circulate online whenever he skips public events. His administration gives out very little information about his health, while consistently assuring the public that he is in tip-top condition.

This happens so often that in more than one occasion, they have posted photos of Duterte at home holding up a newspaper with the date to quell rumours that he is receiving treatment.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a vocal critic of Duterte, claimed in February that the president underwent treatments in Hong Kong for an illness that he refused to reveal. The administration denied this and said that the trip was simply for leisure.

Duterte himself, however, has discussed his health in other public events.

In October 2018, he said that he was awaiting the results of a cancer screening, sparking public concern. He later announced that the tests had come back negative.

The president has also said that he suffers from daily migraines and Buerger’s disease, an illness that causes blockages in the blood vessels link to his smoking when he was younger, ABS-CBN News reported.

Duterte also revealed in 2016 that he took fentanyl, a strong painkiller, due to a spinal injury from motorcycle accidents.

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