Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella went on medical leave again after revealing he recently contracted sepsis. 

“While I was at the hospital, and after thorough tests, I was told that I had sepsis or blood infection. I almost died,” Labella said during a press conference on Tuesday, June 8.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), sepsis is the body’s “extreme response to an infection.”

“It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body,” the CDC said on its website. “Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death,” they added.

This was Labella’s third medical leave in less than a year. 

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Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella admitted to hospital for pneumonia

Rappler reached out to Labella to ask about his condition on Wednesday, June 9, but he has not yet picked up as of this writing.

He was most recently admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and discharged on June 2.

He took a three-day medical leave later and returned to work on June 5 before again going on medical leave on Wednesday, June 9.

The 70-year-old Labella previously went on sick leave to undergo gallbladder surgery in September 2020.

He also had an ear infection in February, which prompted his doctors to advise him to work from home for almost a month to avoid the possibility of catching COVID-19.

In a statement published on Facebook, Labella said he would issue a memo designating current Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama as acting mayor of the city of nearly 1 million people. He said he would also “entrust” current city administrator Floro Casas Jr to take charge of all city hall operations. 

“Even as I focus on my recovery, I will continue to monitor the city,” Labella said. 

He said he was disclosing the state of his health “in the spirit of transparency and accountability.” 

“I am not getting any younger. I am thankful to God for my new lease on life and I promise you that I will come back better and stronger,” Labella said.  – Rappler.com