MANILA (Bloomberg): Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is healthy and fine, refuting social media posts speculating on his medical condition.
"I challenge anyone who is saying that I am sick that they come and exercise with me,” Marcos said, doing jumping jacks at the start of a press conference Monday. "I am happy to say I am healthy.”
Marcos, 68, said his last hospital visit was more than two months ago, specifically for a computed axial tomography scan to check his recovery from diverticulitis.
Last week, the presidential palace said it detected "sudden and coordinated surge in disinformation across social media, particularly targeting the president’s health.”
"My diet is back to normal, my exercise is back to normal,” Marcos said, adding that he regularly takes his maintenance medicine for gout and for hypertension.
While his government confronts the economic fallout from the Iran war, Marcos - who was elected in 2022 for a six-year term - has also been contending with lingering political tensions with his ally-turned-rival, Vice President Sara Duterte. Duterte, who’s facing impeachment hearings in Congress, has earlier declared her intention to run for president in 2028.
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