Former President Rodrigo Duterte looks well and wants to thank the Filipinos for their continued support to him and his family, according to former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea.
Medialdea was able to see Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) facility, where he is currently detained for alleged crimes against humanity over his administration’s bloody drug war, from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday.
“Ok naman siya. He is in very high spirits,” the former official, who was with Duterte in the chartered flight to The Hague after his arrest, said during the Facebook livestream of former presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
“Maganda naman ang itsura nya. Medyo nakahabol na ng konting tulog. Okay naman,” he added.
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 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’.’”
Missing 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. Other than that, he’s okay,” he added.
HEALTH BEING MONITORED
Roque said that the former president was brought to the clinic of the ICC facility.
“I also need to underscore this, siya ngayon ay nasa kumbaga parang clinic nung facility na ‘yun dahil he’s still being monitored. Ang problema nga kasi, nagkulang siya ng gamot talaga,” the former Palace official said in a virtual press conference on Monday, March 17.
Roque 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,” he added.
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. (Raymund Antonio)
