Roque: Duterte tested for ‘growth’ in digestive tract

President Rodrigo Duterte took further tests after a "growth" was found in his digestive tract, his spokesperson said Friday.

Duterte admitted that he spent an hour on Wednesday at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City for some physical tests, a follow-up to the endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures he underwent weeks ago, contradicting Roque's claim that the President only took a day off.

The President revealed the development during the joint command conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police on Thursday in the presidential palace.

"Endoscopy is what he underwent. And I think endoscopy was recommended from his own words ha, in the general staff command conference, because they wanted just to be sure that there was a growth, and they wanted to know more about the growth," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference.

Asked if the growth could be a tumor, Roque said he did not know.

"[B]eyond what he has said, he is entitled to privacy in this matter. I do not know if I am still here next week, then I will tell perhaps we need to issue a medical bulletin, whether or not, it’s serious," he said even as the President is only constitutionally mandated to inform the public if he has serious illness.

"Perhaps we would need to bring in your physician because it’s the only way to stop all talk about your health. But I do not know also where I will be next week."

Roque said in the same press briefing that he is mulling whether to stay in his job after he admitted that he did not know that Duterte had gone to a hospital for some physical tests.

The President had earlier said he is suffering from a "bad case" of Barrett's esophagus, which according to the Mayo Clinic is "associated with an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer."

The 73-year-old Duterte himself floated the idea that he would not seek treatment if diagnosed by doctors with stage 3 cancer.

"I will not prolong my agony in this office or anywhere," he said on Thursday.

Roque, however, assured the public that Duterte is not dying. 

"Hindi naman po siguro...Pero ang sabi naman niya kahapon, ‘name a 73-year-old na walang karamdaman.’ So kung meron man siyang karamdaman, he thinks it’s not out of the ordinary," the Palace official said. —NB, GMA News