President Rodrigo Duterte admitted before a group of business in Malacanang that he has migraine everyday and back problems but his spokesman said this just part of “wear and tear.”

In a speech Monday evening, Duterte said he has migraine daily.

" "I have this migraine everyday. I had a bad sleep, the last one was this. I have a lot of issues with spinal. My doctor would want to operate but you know my wife was a nurse and she used to work in the States, United States. And she said, since a lot of operations for the spinal went awry, that went wrong," Duterte said.

He explained why he is always holding the back of his ear.

"If you guys see me always with a sad mode, I am actually pushing a nerve here to relieve the pain...I cannot afford the operation. It's not because I do not have the money. I have the money to pay for it. It's because my wife said that when (that) nerve (is) cut, you are dead forever," Duterte said.

He said he's taking pain killer as part of his medication.

In an interview at the airport on Tuesday before Duterte left for Cambodia and Singapore, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said there was nothing to be worried about the president's health.

"Whatever he (Duterte) mentioned is just part of wear and tear. But he is okay. In fact, if I may be allowed to say is he is looking more handsome these days," he said.

Duterte denied earlier reports he has cancer.

"Don't believe in cancer. What I have is really Buerger’s disease. It’s an acquired thing that you get from smoking because of nicotine. Nicotine constricts the vessel. Alcohol dilates the vessel," he said.

Internet research showed Buerger's disease is an inflammation and thrombosis in small and medium-sized blood vessels, typically in the legs and leading to gangrene. It has been associated with smoking. Celerina Monte/DMS