Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- An aide to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has denied that she is a heavy drinker and that drinking was causing liver problems. "Oh my gosh! Oh my golly!" said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. Advertisement The aide to the president, whose administration has been hounded by allegations of corruption and election rigging, says Arroyo is healthy. He said she does not even drink when her staff has cognac or brandy, a practice common among Europeans. "When we are meeting, sometimes cognac is served, but the president doesn't drink," Ermita said. "It's only us." He claimed that drinking cognac would actually be good for one's health because it helps with food digestion, the Manila Times reports. Arroyo was hospitalized for flu in July. In June, she was hospitalized for diarrhea, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. Forbes magazine said in 2005 that she was the fourth most powerful woman in the world.
