President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday appeared in a video interview to say he has been diagnosed with diverticulitis but he was fine.

“I’m fine. I’m feeling very, very different from the way I was feeling before. The problem has been fixed. What happened was, apparently, I now have diverticulitis,” Marcos said in a video interview with Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.

“It’s a common complaint, apparently, among people who are heavily stressed and people who are, I must admit, growing old,” he added.

Marcos said he had been working too hard, but the work continued to pile up.

“How can I rest? My doctor always tells me to, but how can I do that when there is so much work?” he said.

He also addressed the critics calling for him to step down.

“Don’t get too excited because it’s not a life-threatening condition. Don’t worry. The rumors of my death are highly exaggerated,” he said.

Even while recuperating, Marcos said he attended three meetings in Malacañang.

Visit to St. Luke’s 

Earlier Thursday, Castro confirmed in a Palace briefing that Marcos was brought to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City due to a stomach discomfort.

“Yes, the President was observed at St. Luke’s Medical Center. He has been discharged and is back in Malacañang,” Castro told reporters in a Viber message.

The cause of the discomfort was not immediately disclosed. 

However, sources at St. Luke’s said Marcos was suffering from diverticulitis, an inflammation of the small bulging pouches in the wall of the large intestine.