Kitty Duterte says ex-President Duterte 'alive and well'

Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, the youngest daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, said that his father is “alive and well” after the International Criminal Court postponed the confirmation of charges hearing on Sept. 23 following his lawyer's request for an indefinite adjournment because he was "unfit" to stand trial.

According to Saleema Refran’s report in "24 Oras,"  former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque asked Kitty about the condition of Duterte after the ICC made public a redacted version of the defense counsel's request that said Duterte had a cognitive impairment and that he couldn't recall events or family members.

In another redacted public version released by the ICC, the ICC prosecutor asked an examination of the former President by their physician.

“How is he specifically? The court cancelled the confirmation because he’s not fit to stand trial, we want to know how he is physically and otherwise?” Roque asked her in a video posted on Facebook on September 9. 

“I cannot delve into that. I’d like to reiterate that we were advised to refrain from sharing information about our visits with him, and all I can assure you is that he is alive and well…” she replied as she visited her father in the Netherlands. 

“But he seems healthy?” Roque asked. 

“Yes.” 

“And strong?”  

“Yes.” 

Kitty further said that there was “no reason to worry but as I said, I cannot discuss.” 

Duterte's defense lawyer, Nicholas Kaufma,n earlier sought the postponement of the proceedings against his client as the 80-year-old former president lacked the capacity to apply the cognitive skills essential for the proper conduct of his defense.

Kaufman said Duterte has "impaired memory and concomitant inability to retain new information or to recall events, places, timing or even members of his close family and defense team." 

War on drugs victims

But the camp of the drug war victims will convey their dismay and opposition to the pre-trial chamber's postponement through the ICC Prosecutor. They also want a panel of independent experts to examine Duterte.

“May GC ba itong mga ito, yung legal team at mga anak? Kasi wala naman kaming narinig sa mga kapamilya niya na iniinda niyang sakit o kaya itong sinasabi nila na cognitive impairment on multiple domains,” said ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti. 

(Do these people have a GC, the legal team, and the children? Because we never heard from his family members that he was suffering from any illness or this so-called cognitive impairment in multiple domains.) 

“Para sa mga pamilya, ang kwestiyon nila ay una, lokohan ba ito? Pangalawa, drama na naman ba ito? at pangatlo, paano kami? Paano ang hustisya para sa amin?” 

(For the families, their questions are: first, is this a joke? Second, is this just another drama? And third, what about us? What about justice for us?) 

The families of the victims also seek a copy of Duterte’s medical records. –Vince Angelo Ferreras/NB, GMA Integrated News