(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, Aug. 30, denied the claims of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison that he was suffering from a chronic kidney disease.
“Dying? Kidney, my arm looks really good. Here, see! Do you see any injection marks?” Duterte said in a speech in Mandaue, Cebu, debunking Sison’s claims he could be undergoing dialysis.
According to Duterte, there was discoloration on his face because of his repeated exposure to the sun when he goes on trips to mountains or when he used to campaign.
He said he does not use sunscreen.
“This is what I’ve gained, burnt skin. It won’t heal right away but it will eventually be back to normal,” he said.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Aug. 28, Sison said Duterte might be suffering from renal failure based on his skin discoloration, according to a doctor.
He also quoted another doctor as speculating that Duterte was on dialysis.
Sison’ pronouncements came after he quoted reports Duterte had gone into a coma, a claim the President himself refuted in subsequent public speeches.