This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been absent from the public eye for two weeks, fueling speculation about his health.
According to Duterte, life is taking its toll on his health, with the 74-year-old leader citing a recent motorcycle accident as a contributing factor.
On October 9, Duterte revealed that he has myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and can result in drooping eyelids and blurred vision.
"If you ask me... 'Are you in the best of health?' Of course not," Duterte told GMA News television in an interview on Friday.
"All of the ailments, I have them because I am already old... Life has begun to take its toll on my health," Duterte added.
Despite his health issues, Duterte has opted to work from his hometown Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao, over the past week to get some rest.
The Philippine constitution requires the handover of power to the vice president if the leader cannot perform his duties due to disability, resignation, or death.
Published on November 17, 2019, by AFP.
