Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said he would have to have a serious talk with his doctors about his health before he decides if he will run in the 2022 elections.

In an interview with ANC, Roque said he did not want to experience the same “heartbreak" in 2019 when he decided to run for Senate but eventually withdrew from the race because of his health condition.

"My biggest worry is my health. The last time I filed, I had health issues and I had to withdraw. So I really need to have a serious talk with my doctors and an honest-to-goodness assessment if I'm up for it," he told ANC's "Headstart" on Wednesday, June 9.

"I don't want the same kind of heartbreak, literally and figuratively, that I experienced in 2019," he added.

Roque first became President Duterte's spokesman in October 2017 until he resigned the following year to run for Senate in 2019 despite President Duterte saying he will not win and offered him to lead the Office of the Press Secretary, a defunct office that was planned to be revived by the administration.

However, in February 2019, Roque had to withdraw his candidacy after undergoing what he described as a "percutaneous coronary intervention following the discovery of an unstable angina coronary disease."

In a Facebook post, Roque thanked his supporters, saying he decided to run to "be of service in a way that I know I will be highly effective."

"In the days since the procedure, I have been forced to confront the reality of my physical situation and what it ultimately means for my aspirations to public service," he wrote in his post.

He added that his doctor told him that it would be "better that I opt for complete recovery before undertaking an activity like an election campaign."

Roque eventually returned as the presidential spokesman in April 2020 as the government aimed to streamline its communications and messaging efforts amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.