No heart ailment, just ‘heartaches’ for Duterte

President Duterte might have no heart ailment, but he admits to having his fair share of heartaches.

The President made the candid remark about the “hurts” endured by his “wayward heart”

while fending off speculations he underwent heart surgery last month.

"I’m not without... may sakit. Pero kung sabihin mo na na-operahan daw ako sa heart [I'm not without illness but for you to say I had a heart operation]," he said in a television interview last Saturday.

"If there is something wrong in my heart, it cannot be a heart disease. It could only be that a wayward heart has so many hurts that it ceased to see the right... the right numbers of…," he said before trailing off.

The President is currently living with his long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Veronica. He has three children Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and Sebastian Duterte with his first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Last month, the President was rumored to have visited Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan but the Palace denied Duterte was confined at the hospital. Photos of the President having a meal at his Manila residence were also released to dispel rumors about his deteriorating health.

The Palace explained that the President was focused on reading and signing documents while he was away from public sight.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo also said the President has remained “transparent” about his health, and would tell the nation if he was suffering any serious condition.