Days before the May 13 elections, President Aquino showed up in one of the Team PNoy rallies coughing intermittently in the course of a brief speech. Malacañang may not want to make a big deal out of it, but the health of the president of this country is a big deal, a concern of every Filipino, by reason of office and responsibility.
It is very disconcerting to see one’s leader in a bad physical state such that he cannot even complete sentences because of coughing fits. Part of President Aquino’s duty is to make sure his health is at its best so that he can serve the people to the best of his ability.
But from reports, he is still a chain smoker regularly lighting up cigarettes which have scientifically been proven to negatively affect health. With all the rigorous demands of being the president of a country, smoking certainly does not and will not do Mr. Aquino’s body any good. Not to mention that he is not setting a good example to the Filipino youth.
The Sin Tax Law is supposedly meant to discourage smoking and thus promote good health but, although he supported the bill through its passage in Congress, the President’s smoking habit says the exact opposite.
There are enough problems facing the nation, problems that seem to be beyond resolution. What we don’t want is to have a sick president who is underperforming and using ill-health as an excuse. This is not the first time that the President’s health came into question, which is what made the coughing fits in that rally quite alarming.
The President should take care of his health so that he can lead in taking care of the Philippines.
—ELISE DEE,
dee.elise.1986@gmail.com