Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday fainted at an Independence Day ceremony held in Manila. In a tweet, the 73-year-old leader said he was quickly getting back up on his feet like a “true soldier”. He also said that the lack of sleep and rest due to his recent engagements led to fatigue and his ill health at the moment.
According to reports, Lorenzana had been dealing with back-to-back engagements in Singapore, Korea, and different parts of the Philippines. “Hello, everyone! My lack of rest and sleep from my recent successive international security engagements may have taken its toll on me…,” the Philippine defense secretary wrote.
“But as the saying goes, a true soldier always gets up quickly after a fall. I’m fine now. Just resting since the results of the tests conducted earlier are okay,” he added. He also attached a photo of him sitting on his hospital bed with a large food tray lying in front of him as he smiles and poses for the photo, already looking in good health.
The Department of National Defense has said he is “in stable condition”, reported ANI, citing Xinhua news agency.
According to defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong, Lorenzana “is currently in stable condition and has been advised to rest after fainting during the Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony at Rizal Park this morning.”
Lorenzana arrived from Singapore early on Sunday morning after attending the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue and meeting with his foreign counterparts, as per the news agency. He went straight to the ceremony after landing in Manila.
The Philippines celebrates its independence from the Spanish rule on June 12 every year.