Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that former president Rodrigo Duterte was brought to the clinic of the International Criminal Court (ICC) facility, where he is currently detained for crimes against humanity of murder.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands following his March 11 arrest on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity. (Photos from AP, Veronica Duterte)
“I also need to underscore this, siya ngayon ay nasa kumbaga parang clinic nung facility na ‘yun dahil (he’s currently in the clinic of that facility because) he’s still being monitored. Ang problema nga kasi, nagkulang siya ng gamot talaga (The problem is he wasn’t able to take the right medicines),” the former Palace official said in a virtual press conference on Monday, March 17.
Roque who resurfaced in The Hague after escaping the congressional inquiry into his alleged involvement in the illegal offshore gambling operations in the Philippines.
As an ICC-accredited counsel, he is expected to form Duterte’s legal team.
He said that the ICC doctors were only able to give the former president “substitute medicine.”
“Kaya nga po kagabi, nag-deliver kami ng totoong medicine niya with letter and prescription para makita nila na hindi na dapat substitute medicine ang ibigay kung hindi ‘yung talagang mga gamot na ni [dating] presidente (Last night, we delivered his medicines with letter and prescription so they will see that they should give him his medicines and not substitute medicine),” he added.
Medialdea’s visit
Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea was able to see Duterte from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday.
“Ok naman siya (He’s okay). He is in very high spirits,” the former official, who was with Duterte in the chartered flight to The Hague after his arrest, he said during Roque’s Facebook livestream.
“Maganda naman ang itsura nya. Medyo nakahabol na ng konting tulog. Okay naman (He looks good. He was able to sleep now. He’s okay),” he added.
Tuyo, fried bananas
While the former president is fine, Medialdea shared though that he misses his usual Filipino fare of tuyo (dried fish), monggo (stir-fried mung beans), and fried bananas.
“Iyan ang nawawala sa kanya (That’s what he’s missing). Other than that, he’s okay,” he added.
Earlier, Vice President Sara Duterte, who is also in The Hague, said that her father wanted to eat Filipino food.
She shared, though, that the detention facility has recently served rice to the former president.
More prayers
Medialdea shared that the former president has been thinking about his supporters, too, and wants to thank them for the continued support.
“Nagpapasalamat siya sa inyong lahat. Ituloy nyo lang ang dasal (He is grateful to you all. Please continue praying),” he said.
Asked for Duterte’s message to Filipinos, his former executive secretary shared what the ex-president told him.
“Tinanong ko siya diyan. Ang sabi nya, ‘mahal na mahal ko kayong lahat at maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng suportang binibigay nyo sa akin at sa aking pamilya’ (I asked him about that. He said, ‘I love you all and thank you for the support you have been giving me and my family’).”
The Philippine National Police (PNP) estimated that around 50,000 Filipinos from across the country joined various rallies to show support for the former president following his arrest last week.
Over the weekend, some 30,000 people joined a solidarity walk in Davao City to ask for his return from The Hague. The event was the culminating part of the civic parade of the 88th Araw ng Dabaw celebrations.