President Duterte explains gum-chewing habit

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(Eagle News) — So why does President Rodrigo Duterte keep on chewing gum?

On Thursday, the President himself finally gave an explanation.

“Bayaran mo lang ako chewing gum kasi it eases up the pain when I’m chewing. Nawawala ‘yung spinal ano ko. It eases a bit,” he said.

Duterte has been known to act unconventionally even in formal events.

Protocol-conscious Japanese officials being on faux pas alert ahead of a meeting with revered Emperor Akihito last year after a video of Duterte with Chinese President Xi Jinping showed him apparently chewing gum — considered rude on such an occasion.

A photo of Duterte meeting with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamouni in 2016 also showed him with rolled-up sleeves and an open collar. (With a report from Agence France Presse)