Philippines' Duterte reveals he suffers from autoimmune disease

However, in around 20 percent of people it is localised to the eye muscles (ocular myasthenia).

The president has had the condition for a long time, Go told Reuters, although Duterte's spokesman, Salvador Panelo, told a news conference he only became aware of Duterte's disorder after he mentioned it on Saturday. "Nothing serious", he said.

This came after wide public speculation about the 74-year-old's health.

"I have a talent". "I blame the protocol, why are you like this?" You can see one of them is smaller. I got it from my. exactly from my grandfather, ganun rin siya (he also has it).

Duque said a lot of who had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis continued "to live normal lives". "It goes where it wants", Duterte said, according to an official transcript emailed to reporters by the presidential palace in Manila.

The US National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke said "myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body, including the arms and legs". Meanwhile, Malacañang said Monday Duterte was "okay" despite his revelation he was suffering from a neuromuscular disease and a "very bad case of cold" during his trip to Russian Federation.

The president is known for his long-winded speeches, during which he often rails about the west, grumbles about corruption and threatens drug peddlers he would kill them. A nationwide survey early this year showed that Filipino adults were anxious about Duterte's health, and more of them also believed the President had health problems. The government later released a picture of the president lazily enjoying breakfast with his chief aide. Speaking at the Philippines-Russia Business Forum in Moscow on October 4, he said the bilateral economic relations have thrived as two-way trade a year ago doubled the figure in 2017, and has maintained the momentum.

The Philippine Constitution stipulates that "in case of a serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed", but Duterte himself had in the past brushed aside his health issues as a normal effect of aging.

He also suffers from Buerger's disease, caused by his heavy smoking in younger days, which can cause blockages in the blood vessels.