Philippine Def Secretary faints at event, now 'in stable condition'

Manila, June 12 Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana fainted during an Independence Day event on Sunday, but is now "in stable condition", said the Department of National Defence.

"I am fine now. Just resting since the results of the tests conducted earlier are okay," Lorenzana, 73, posted on his Facebook account.

"The fatigue from recent successive international security engagements may have taken its toll on me. The temperature was scorching this morning," he added.

Department of National Defence spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Lorenzana "is currently in stable condition and has been advised to rest after fainting during the Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony at Rizal Park this morning".

Lorenzana arrived from Singapore early Sunday morning after attending the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue and meeting with his foreign counterparts.

He went straight to the ceremony after landing in Manila.