Duterte on FB post:” I’m alive, fairly healthy”

August 21, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte said he was "alive and fairly healthy" contrary to the claim of Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), that he was comatose. Duterte made the message in a live Facebook post that his close aide Christopher "Bong" Go took Monday night while he was to start a dinner with a woman whom he identified as "Vernice" in Davao City. "I said I'm alive, fairly healthy and I'm having dinner with the beauitiful lady from Davao," he said. "I was reportedly in comatose. How can you be comatose with a beautiful lady?," Duterte added. He said if there was anyone who could be comatose, it was Sison because he was the one who was sick. The President said the Netherlands has been complaining about Sison because the latter is frequently in the hospital "and you're not paying and you're abusing the hospitality of the Netherlands." Duterte earlier accused Sison of having cancer. He challenged again Sison to come home and he would send the rebel leader to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. "But there I will provide you with space and plenty (of people) to accompany you," he added. In his FB page, Sison, quoting an unverified report, cited Duterte's "darkness" of the face and his "walk and handshake had become more unstable." He also said Duterte was in comatose since last Sunday. Malacanang officials immediately denied Sison's claim, which also prompted Duterte to agree to an FB live with Go. Celerina Monte/DMS