The Philippine balance of payments has deteriorated and will further deteriorate. The maturing debt will grow at an accelerated rate and the inflow of portfolio investments (hot money from the hedge funds) will continue to decelerate because of rising US interest rate.

Here is Communist Party of the Philippines founder Joma Sison's response to the President's live Facebook video meant to debunk reports that he is sick.

According to Filipino doctors, his frequent and prolonged use of such pain killers can damage the kidney and necessitate dialysis which Duterte is known to undergo. Fentanyl can damage not only the kidney but also the brain. Thus, the rambling statements and rants are delusional and often involve self-contradictions, outright lies and extreme exaggerations.

With regard to the report that Duterte was comatose in the afternoon or evening of Sunday, August 19, I never claimed it to be certainly true but I cautioned the readers of my Facebook Timeline that the report is subject to verification or negation by the public appearance of Duterte and by credible medical bulletin.

As correctly pointed out by Rep. Alejano, it is the right of the Filipino people to know the physical and mental health of Duterte. They would not want to be ruled by a madman or by some caretaker committee of pretenders in violation of the rule of succession in he 1987 Constitution.

One more report circulating is that Sara Inday and key cabinet men have formed a caretaker committee to run the government while Duterte is indisposed. This report needs to be verified or negated by Duterte´s public appearance. We do not know the original source of the reports. The Duterte ruling clique itself might be the source to deflect attention from the raging issues against Duterte.

You are absolutely correct in adopting as the theme of your Congress: “Fight the Fascist Attack on the People!” You must raise higher your unity, strength and fighting spirit by having a common understanding of the situation, your experience, your current level of strength and the tasks in advocating and fighting for human rights and people´s rights.

Duterte never gets tired of repetitively terminating the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. He terminated the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations on November 23, 2017 with his Proclamation 360, and then he followed it up in December 2017 with Proclamation 374 designating the CPP and NPA as terrorist" organizations with the malicious intent of making it doubly sure that he had killed the peace negotiations.