President Duterte has adopted "clean living" by avoiding alcohol and cigarettes to stay healthy, Malacañang said Thursday in a bid to dispel speculations about his medical condition.

ccording to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, the President is in good condition after he listened to his doctor's advice on how to prevent his Barrett’s esophagus ailment from worsening.

Barrett's esophagus is a complication of reflux disease in which acid leaking back from the stomach begins to erode the esophagus, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

"Clean living po ngayon ang Presidente – no smoking, no drinking," Roque said in an interview over RMN Thursday.

"Malinaw po iyong sinabi ni Presidente na sinabihan siya ng doktor tumigil nang uminom dahil kung hindi baka magkaroon na siya ng stage 1 cancer (The President's statement is clear that he was advised by his doctor to stop drinking alcohol otherwise he may get stage 1 cancer)," he added.

Roque explained that the doctor's advice was actually given even before Duterte became president.

"Nangyari po ito mayor pa si Presidente at ang Presidente naman po ay nakinig sa advice ng kaniyang doktor, tumigil nang uminom. Kaya ho ngayon, mabuti ang kanyang kalusugan (It happened when the President was still mayor. The President listened to the advice of his doctor. He stopped drinking. So now, he is in good condition),” he asid.

In a taped public address on Tuesday, the President bared that his Barrett's esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), was nearing stage 1 cancer. The 75-year-old leader said his doctor told him to stop drinking to prevent the worsening of his ailment.

The following day, the Palace assured the nation that the President has not developed cancer and will tell the people if he is diagnosed with serious illness. At present, Roque said there is "really no serious condition."

In a Palace press briefing Thursday, Roque dodged media queries about the President's last medical checkup.  

Instead, he renewed the President's commitment to comply with the constitutional provision to let the people know if there is any serious illness.

Apart from Barrett’s esophagus, the President previously admittedly suffering other ailments such as Buerger’s disease or the inflammation of blood vessels caused by his past smoking habit.

Duterte previously admitted suffering from ailments, such as myasthenia davis or a neuromuscular disease that limits his ability to control his eye movement as well as and Buerger’s disease or the inflammation of blood vessels caused by his past smoking habit.

In December 2019, the President admitted that any person of his age usually suffers from illness and takes maintenance medicines.