MANILA – His top aides dismissed the rumor that President Rodrigo Duterte has fallen into a coma.
Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, citing a “latest report,” claimed that Duterte “has gone into coma” on Aug. 19.
“Nasa kama lang nag-rest. Kausap ko pa 2 a.m. kaninang madaling-araw si (President Duterte),” Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go said on Monday.
Perhaps Sison was just dreaming, the presidential aide said.
“Baka nanaginip lang si Joma,” said Go. “Palitan lang ni Joma ng letter C ang pangalan niya, siya pala iyon.”
On the other hand “absolutely false” was how Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo called Sison’s claim on Duterte’s health.
“Perhaps that is the wish of Joma Sison. Hence, when he is fed with the wrong information on [the President’s] health, he easily believes in it,” Panelo said.
The lawyer said the 73-year-old leader is “in robust health.”
“I wish him good health, that he may live long enough to see the dawn of peace that has remained elusive between the communist insurgents and the armed forces,” said Panelo.
In June Duterte ordered the termination of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to allow more public consultations.
For his part Sison said they can no longer negotiate with the Duterte administration.
“Based on the implications drawn from the current impasse, the NDFP can no longer negotiate with a GRP that is headed by Duterte,” said Sison.
“So long as he heads the GRP, the Filipino people, especially the oppressed and exploited, cannot expect any benefit from negotiating with the Duterte regime,” the communist leader added./PN
