1 Nov 2012

Despite ailments, American Samoa's Faleomavaega seeks 13th term

1:37 pm on 1 November 2012

The American Samoan member of the US Congress Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin has responded to statements by one of his opponents that he is not in good health.

He said a candidate running for Congress for almost 20 years has been saying it's time for a change, and that he has become too old and sick to continue.

Faleomavaega, who is running for a 13th term as the territory's delegate to Congress, says he still has the strength to perform his duties.

He says he has had a double by-pass heart surgery, had his appendix taken out, underwent a knee operation, both his eye are lasered with artificial lenses and he had high blood pressure, gout and Type 2 Diabetes.

He adds it's likely he has been exposed to the deadly chemical dioxin found in Agent Orange while he served in Vietnam .

But he says despite all these ailments he thanks God for giving him the strength to serve as American Samoa 's representative in the halls of Congress.