Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was pictured riding an all-terrain vehicle in the early hours of Friday morning, just days after cutting short a trip to Japan because of “unbearable pain” in his spinal column following a motorcycle fall last week. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a former long-time aide who still accompanies the president, shared a picture on Facebook showing the 74-year-old Duterte atop the vehicle, which he said the president rode around the Malacanang Palace compound for about 10 minutes. In a live-streamed briefing on Wednesday, Go said the pain Duterte had experienced “was purely muscle spasms” and was not caused by a pinched nerve. He was prescribed medicines and needs to rest, Go said. Duterte, who previously said he has spinal issues and suffers from daily migraines, on Tuesday cut short his visit to Japan to attend the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo. He was supposed to stay in Japan until Thursday. He still plans to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Bangkok which starts next week, Go said. Earlier this month, Duterte said he has a muscle disease that makes his eyelid droop, in addition to an illness affecting the blood vessels called Buerger’s disease caused by smoking. His health is often the subject of speculation, and his spokesman Salvador Panelo has repeatedly said it should not be a cause for concern. The president is required under the country’s constitution to disclose any serious illness to the public, and will be replaced by the vice-president if he decides to step down. The incumbent vice-president, Leni Robredo, is the leader of the opposition Liberal Party. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte had to cut short his trip “due to unbearable pain in his spinal column near the pelvic bone” caused by a motorcycle accident last week. The president started to feel pain in his back as early as Monday while on his way to Japan, which likely heightened in Tokyo due to the cold weather, Go said. Go, who was with Duterte in Japan, said he had to buy a cane for the president in Tokyo. ‘Unbearable’ back pain forces Duterte to cut short trip to Japan In a video posted by Go on Facebook, Duterte appeared on camera as they were en route to the airport in Japan to fly to Manila. “You know, about four days ago, I fell from a motorcycle. When you ride a motorcycle, once or twice in your life, you will really experience a fall,” Duterte said in the video. He said he could not “tolerate” the pain he was feeling near the waist. Additional reporting by Bloomberg and DPA