President Rodrigo Duterte has scoffed at the allegation of Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano that his trip to Israel next month was due to medical reasons.

"If they will operate my brain, that's better. There's no problem," Duterte told reporters in Taguig City on Monday.

He added that if the doctors would open his stomach, he would ask them to remove the filth and reserve it to Alejano.

There were speculations about Duterte's health condition.

But in jest, Duterte said, "By God's grace, I can still love."

Duterte, however, later said he would bring with him some retiring military and police officers to Israel.

"That is my gift to them for serving the country well," he said as he jokingly added that they would practice in Sinai how to fire guns.

Duterte said he would visit Israel next month to see the situation of thousands of Filipinos there.

"I'm there because of the 28,000 Filipinos. And it's getting hotter there," he said.

"And also on the Lebanese front, there is something brewing there. And in Jordan, we have 48,000 Filipinos. That’s why I am bringing (Environment Secretary Roy) Cimatu to prepare for that eventuality and just in case war breaks out there," Duterte added.

Cimatu used to be the presidential envoy to the Middle East.

After his trip to Israel, Duterte will proceed to Jordan. Celerina Monte/DMS