BY JONEL AMIO and MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City – President Rodrigo Duterte said he needs “25 hours every day” to solve the country’s problems.
“You elected me as a worker of the national government. And you expect me to really produce and work hard. There must be results. And I’m trying really to do everything I can possibly [and] humanly [do],” Duterte said in his speech at the public plaza on Saturday.
“Minsan nauubusan na ako ng panahon. I think I need about – not 24 – but 25 hours every day,” the President added.
He also denied that he has an illness, adding that he was only playing along with his critics.
“Pumayat na ako, tumaba. Tapos sabi nila nagkasakit daw ako. Kasi kung nag-darken ang face mo, it’s either kidney or something is wrong with your entrails,” Duterte said.
Early this month, the 73-year-old Duterte said he may have cancer after he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy in September.
“I don’t know where I’m now physically but I have to wait for that. But I would tell you if it’s cancer, it’s cancer,” he told a Philippine Military Academy alumni group and top security officials on Oct. 4.
But yesterday he said: “Ang totoo nyan, nasunog ito (face) ‘nung pumunta ako ng Jordan. Nandoon ako sa disyerto. I was observing a military exercise and I do not usually use, ever since, sunblock…It melts. Wala talaga. Ayaw ko.”
Duterte added that his wife advised him to apply sunblock but he did not know that he still needs to avoid bathing under the sun.
“Umitim lalo. Kaya ‘yung mga kalaban ko, ‘Ah itong si Duterte mamatay na ito,’” he said, adding: “Sinakyan ko na lang rin.‘Pag atakihin mo ako o biruin mo ako, sasakyan kita.”
Duterte attended the MassKara Festival for three consecutive years now. In 2016, he attended the first day and in 2017, he attended the last day.
The President arrived on board a chopper at the Bacolod-Silay Airport at around 6 p.m., an hour behind his original schedule. He then proceeded to the public plaza.
Duterte’s daughter Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was also in Bacolod on Friday.
The President lauded the organizers of the festival for their “success.”
“Pumunta ako dito kasi maganda talaga panoorin ang Masskara. Sadya,” he said./PN
