DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana collapsed while attending the 124th Independence Day ceremony on Sunday at Rizal Park, with his head and body hitting the ground.
His aides quoted him saying he believed exhaustion from a recent series of international engagements, coupled with Sunday’s extremely hot and humid weather, caused his collapse. They insisted, however, he is fine, even as he remains in hospital where he was rushed for treatment.
The military joined Filipinos in celebrating the country’s 124th Independence Day, with several activities including at the Kalayaan Island Group and Philippine Rise.
At the Luneta, which was the seat of the anniversary rites, Lorenzana was seen on viral video standing in line next to some Cabinet secretaries near the giant flagpole when he suddenly keeled over. A woman behind him tried to catch him, but barely broke his fall.
The defense chief was immediately wheeled into an undisclosed hospital, with several witnesses raising concerns over his conditions following his head’s thumping into the ground.
Lorenzana, however, said he was okay, with his aides even sending photos while he was in the hospital. One of the photos showed him relaxed and seated on his hospital bed while taking his breakfast.
“I am fine now. Just resting since the results of the tests conducted earlier are okay,” Lorenzana posted in his social media page that accompanied his photo doing the thumbs-up sign.
“The fatigue from my recent successive international security engagements may have taken its toll on me. Then it was also very hot at the Luneta a while ago. But as the saying goes, a true soldier always gets up quickly after a fall,” the defense chief said.
Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Lorenzana just arrived from Singapore early on Sunday after attending the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue and meeting with his foreign counterparts.
He said the defense secretary also traveled recently to South Korea and other parts of the country “while overseeing the defense operations of the country and transition to a new administration.”
“His hectic schedule during the last few weeks and the extreme temperatures in Luneta earlier today may have resulted in his fatigue,” Andolong said.
Image credits: SCREENSHOT FROM VIDEO BY ROCKY LESIGUES