The reason behind the Philippine President's one-week leave of absence has been revealed.

Officials at the Philippine presidential palace emphasized that Rodrigo Duterte temporarily withdrew from work due to fatigue, not illness as many had speculated.

This photo of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, taken yesterday (June 15), was provided by his special assistant, Christopher Go.

This photo of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, taken yesterday (June 15), was provided by his special assistant, Christopher Go.

“He’s tired. He’s just tired. As I said, he’s been traveling around for about 23 days…to oversee the martial law he imposed,” said Ernesto Abella, spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, yesterday (June 15), adding that Duterte is taking time to rest and deal with personal matters.

When asked by the press about President Duterte's health, Abella added: "The work is really demanding, so we have to let him rest. You never rest? I assure you, there's nothing to worry about regarding the President falling seriously ill."

In addition, to reassure the public, Christopher Go, a longtime aide to Duterte, publicly released a photo of the 72-year-old president handling documents.

Mr. Go stated that the photo was taken before 6 p.m. on June 15th at the Bahay Pagbabago residence in Malacanang Park, the official residence of President Duterte.

Earlier, the announcement by Malacanang Park that President Duterte was taking a one-week leave of absence from work sparked speculation about his health.

There were even rumors that Duterte had been taken to a hospital in Metro Manila, but officials denied this information.

Philippine President Duterte's legal advisor, Salvador Panelo, stated that Duterte was in good health and optimistic when he spoke with him on Wednesday evening (June 14).

Panelo revealed that, despite his "strong" demeanor, Duterte needed rest after his hectic schedule. "He visited the soldiers. On Independence Day, he was really sleep-deprived. I know he got home around 6 a.m. He was very tired," Panelo added.

According to officials, President Duterte's absence from the Independence Day celebrations in Manila on Monday (June 12) was for rest. He has reportedly not appeared in public since then.

According to Panelo, the conversation took place around 7 p.m. The adviser said Duterte confided, "I'm busy. There are many problems in Mindanao."

Panelo also denied rumors that the Philippine president was ill. However, he could not determine when Duterte would next appear in public.

Returning home

The Phil Star, citing sources close to the Philippine President, reported that Duterte returned home to Davao City last night (June 15), after resting in Bahay Pagbabago since the beginning of the week.

“He really needs a break. There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s fine. It’s just that the hectic schedule over the past few weeks has taken a toll on him. And just like anyone else, he has the right to take time to rest and relax,” the source emphasized.

According to Phil Star, Duterte has largely ignored sleep time in pursuit of a hectic schedule over the past few months, including overseas trips to Cambodia, Hong Kong (China), and Beijing (China) last month.

President Duterte also traveled to Russia, but decided to return home less than 24 hours after arriving in Moscow to address the Maute militant group's attack on Marawi City, Mindanao, on May 23.

Since then, Duterte has worked tirelessly and without sleep to oversee the enforcement of martial law in Mindanao, as well as to deal with other military operations in Marawi.

Sources confirm that, despite taking time off, President Duterte is still closely following domestic affairs daily.

This is not the first time President Duterte's health has become a hot topic in the Philippines. During last year's election campaign, rumors surfaced that he had cancer, which he subsequently denied on several occasions.

According to TPO