65% of Filipinos want Duterte's health to be public matter

A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from September 17-20, 2020, revealed that 65% of Filipinos consider President Rodrigo Duterte's health a public matter requiring disclosure.

Despite this sentiment, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque stated that a health bulletin is only constitutionally required in cases of serious illness.

Roque assured the public that there is currently no need to release a medical bulletin as the President is not ill.

He noted that the SWS survey was an "old study" from 2019-2020 and that the Constitution mandates public disclosure of the President's medical condition only if the ailment is severe.

The President reappeared on Monday evening, having canceled a previous address due to COVID-19 concerns within the Presidential Security Group, and claimed during his address that he had no ailments.

Senator Panfilo Lacson had previously called the 65% figure "incredibly low" and expressed hope that the President's absence from public view would be his last "hide-and-seek" game.