MANILA — Malacañang on Monday denied a news report, which claimed that one of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s bodyguards was “carrying a bundle of cash” for purchases made during the Chief Executive’s quick break in Hong Kong over the weekend.
Journalist Ellen Tordesillas wrote about the said bundle of cash in her Vera Files article “Duterte in Hong Kong with Honeylet and daughter Kitty” published on Saturday (Oct. 6).
“Hindi ho totoo yan. Wala po may hawak na bundle-bundle na pera. Intriga ‘yan (That’s not true. Nobody was holding a bundle of cash. That’s all intrigue),” Duterte’s top aide, Christopher “Bong” Go, told reporters in a telephone interview.
“Wala naman silang pruweba. Wala hong katotohanan ‘yan (They don’t have any proof. There’s no truth to that report),” he added.
On Saturday night, Go uploaded photos of him with Duterte, who was joined by his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty.
Go told reporters in a text message that the President arrived in Hong Kong early Saturday morning to take a “much-needed break” and was set to return on Sunday.
He denied that Duterte went to Hong Kong simply to shop, but to mainly get rest and bond with his youngest daughter, which he rarely had a chance to do for the past two and a half years in office.
“Yung bonding with his daughter na nami-miss na niya na di niya nagagawa (he missed it because he hasn’t done it) for the past two and a half years,” Go said.
Duterte’s medical results
Meanwhile, Go was mum on the results of recent medical tests on the President.
“Hindi ko masasagot ‘yan. Yung sakit niya di talaga mahanap (I can’t answer that question. I know they can’t identify an illness),” Go said.
Asked if Duterte was willing to release the results to the public, Go said it was for the President to decide.
“Si Presidente lang po makakasagot niyan. Sinabi ko kung serious, di ba nasa Constitution naman na kung serious kailangan i-divulge. Wala namang serious illness ang Pangulo (It’s only the President who can answer that question. But if it’s serious, isn’t it in the Constitution that he needs to divulge if it’s serious? The President doesn’t have a serious illness),” Go said.
Earlier, the 73-year-old President bared that he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy and was advised to have repeat tests.
Duterte said he did not know his current state of health but vowed to tell the public if it was cancer. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
