This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been absent from the public eye for two weeks, fueling speculation about his health.
On November 8, Duterte cut short a trip to Japan due to unbearable pain in his spine after a motorcycle accident, which came just 10 days after he revealed he has myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease causing muscle weakness.
"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," he added.
Despite his spokesman's reassurances that there is no need to issue medical bulletins, Duterte's prolonged absences have intensified concerns about his capacity to lead.
As the oldest Philippine leader elected, Duterte has opted to work from his hometown Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao, to get some rest.
His recent decision to pass on the running of his signature anti-narcotics crackdown to Vice-President Leni Robredo, an arch-critic, has further raised eyebrows.
Published on November 18, 2019.
