By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
President Duterte has put an end to claims of him being in comatose by appearing in a Facebook live video Monday evening.
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison claimed early Monday that Duterte was in comatose since Sunday.
President Rodrigo Duterte
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN)
Top Malacañang officials have denied Sison's claims readily, saying that Duterte is just resting and will be appearing publicly in an event in Cebu the following day.
But to prove that he is in the pink of health, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go went live on Facebook where Duterte himself addressed the rumors while waiting for his dinner to be served.
"Ikaw 'yung comatose, ikaw 'yung may sakit (You're the one who's in comatose, you're the one who's sick)," Duterte told his former professor.
"Alam mo ang totoo lang, nag-complain na rin ang Netherlands kasi labas-masok ka sa ospital, hindi ka naman daw nagbabayad (You know, the Netherlands has also been complaining because you've been going in and out of hospitals without paying). You're not paying and you're abusing the hospitality of the Netherlands," he said.
Duterte then renewed his invitation to Sison to return to the Philippines as there is a spot reserved to the communist leader.
"If you think that you are sick, come home and I will bring you to the place--it's called Bilibid," Duterte said.
"Pero doon (But there) we will provide you with a space: a bed and... plenty to keep you company," he added.
Duterte also joked that even if he was in comatose, he would have immediately regained control of his body because of the "beautiful girl" he was having dinner with.
"I'm alive--fairly healthy and I'm having dinner with a beautiful lady from Davao. She's Bernice, she's on leave from Harvard. I invited her to discuss some things along the way," Duterte said.
"Okay pa naman ako. Sabi niya comatose (I'm still fine. He said I'm in comatose)? How can you be comatose with a beautiful lady. Kung comatose ako makita ko si Bernice talagang babangon ako (If I'm in coma, I would immediately get up the moment I see Bernice)," he added.
Duterte then said that Sison was the reincarnation of Ahasver, or the Filipinos' Samuel Belibet, the mythical immortal jew who was cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming for taunting Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion.
"Joma, ang wish ko sa buhay, maski wala ka nang silbi sa mundong ito, mabubuhay ka pa rin ng mga 1,000 years para ikot ng ikot ka na lang dito sa mundo (Joma, my wish in life, even if you're worthless in this world, is for you live a thousand years and roam around the planet)," he said.
"I think you are the reincarnation of the guy... He's a guy who's been around walking around the planet Earth. And he's not dying because sabi nga nila--mag-research ka na lang, tinatamad na ako eh (as they say--just research it. I'm getting lazy now)," he added.
Rumors of Duterte's supposedly worsening health has been floating around occasionally. The last time was when he had a check-up a day before his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month. Malacañang said that Duterte is in the pink of health.