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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace won't give updates on Duterte's health—Castro

Palace won't give updates on Duterte's health—Castro

Published Sep 29, 2025 02:17 pm
PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro
PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro
Malacañang has distanced itself from matters concerning the health of former president Rodrigo Duterte while in detention.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said  they will not give updates on Duterte's health when asked what the Marcos administration knows about the former president's state of health.
Castro also cited the recent statement of the Duterte patriarch's former wife that he is well and alive.
"Sa ngayon po, sabi nga po nila, dapat ito ay isang pribadong kundisyon na hindi po isinasapubliko. At nabanggit naman po at napanood natin ang dati niyang asawa na si Mrs. Elizabeth Zimmerman na according to her, the [former] president is very well and very alive. So, iyon lang po ang nakita po natin (For now, as they have said, this should be considered a private condition and not made public. And we have heard and seen his former wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Zimmerman, who said that the [former] president is very well and very much alive. So that is all we see for now)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Monday, Sept. 29.
"Pero mula sa atin pong pamahalaan, hindi po tayo magbibigay ng anuman pong update (But from our government, we will not be providing any updates)," she stressed.
The Palace official also reiterated that the welfare check conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was in line with its consular functions and duties.
Castro, however, did not give further details on the medical routine check.
It can be recalled that Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman claimed that the welfare check was not coordinated with the defense team, calling it a "gross invasion of privacy."
"Noong nagkaroon po ng welfare check, malamang dahil nakausap naman po nila ang dating pangulo, sa ating pagkakaalam at ang sabi po rin naman ng DFA ay iyan na po ay routine kapag po ang isang Pilipino in distress at kinakailangan ng tulong especially kapag patungkol po sa kanyang health condition, talaga pong pinupuntahan ng MWO or ng ating mga consular officials para po malaman kung ano ang kinahihinatnan or kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan (When the welfare check was conducted, it was likely because they were able to speak with the former President, to our knowledge and as the DFA also said, that is routine whenever a Filipino is in distress and in need of assistance, especially concerning his health condition, the MWO or our consular officials really make it a point to visit in order to know the situation or condition of our fellow citizens)," Castro said.
The former president has been detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague since March 12 for crimes against humanity.
He is facing multiple counts of murder charges for the thousands of killings under his administration’s brutal drug war.

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Rodrigo Duterte Claire Castro ICC welfare check
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