"He was not fit to fly"--Senator Bong Go on Duterte's health, blocked doctors, and denied meds in ICC transfer

PHILIPPINES, April 12 - Press Release
April 11, 2025

"He was not fit to fly"--Senator Bong Go on Duterte's health, blocked doctors, and denied meds in ICC transfer

At a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on Thursday, April 10, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go sounded the alarm over what he described as grave and inhumane lapses in the handling of former President Rodrigo Duterte's medical needs during his controversial transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Senator Go raised concerns on how the arrest and subsequent detention had isolated the former president, restricted access to his personal doctors, and failed to administer his prescribed medication--despite his known illnesses and advanced age.

The hearing was part of a broader Senate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Duterte's arrest and handover to the ICC. Senator Go's questioning was directed at Ambassador Markus Lacanilao and Philippine National Police (PNP) officials, with key details emerging about Duterte's condition and the events that unfolded behind closed gates.

"Ako po ang magtatanong. To Amb. Markus Lacanilao, totoo ba na pagdating doon sa The Hague isinakay siya sa stretcher, siya na lang mag-isa? Yes or no?" Senator Go asked.

"Opo, opo," Lacanilao replied.

"Hindi n'yo na sinamahan?" Senator Go continued.

"Hindi po kami inallow ng ICC (International Criminal Court)," the ambassador responded.

Senator Go then pressed for clarification on Duterte's medication access: "Paano 'yung mga medisina n'ya?"

Lacanilao explained that Duterte's personal nurse and a PNP doctor coordinated with the ICC doctor. But when Senator Go asked, "Hindi sila pinababa, yes or no?" Lacanilao replied, "Hindi po, hindi po."

"Wala siyang kasama binaba?" Senator Go repeated. "Wala po, siya lang po," Lacanilao confirmed. "Siya lang mag-isa?" "Opo, opo."

Senator Go then revealed critical information about Duterte's medical condition and ongoing treatments: "Alam n'yo ba marami siyang medisina, 27 'yan araw-araw. Kung ano 'yung ipinainom sa kanya hanggang ngayon, hanggang ngayon po hindi pa rin ipinapainom sa kanya kahit dalawang beses na pinadalahan siya mula sa Pilipinas. Hindi pinapapasok dahil gusto nila sila ang maggamot. E papaano na lang po kung hindi hiyang o hindi naaayon sa kanyang karamdaman."

He emphasized that Duterte was already showing signs of distress before his departure: "Noong nasa Villamor pa lang po si dating Pangulong Duterte, mataas 'yung blood sugar n'ya and he is due for checkup po, March 12. Nandid'yan po 'yung nurse n'ya, monthly po 'yan--December, January, February, March. Buwan-buwan po 'yung kanyang medical procedure. Eh 80 years old na po 'yan, buwan-buwan ako mismo sinasamahan ko. Pati 'yung gamot n'ya buwan-buwan ako rin po ang nagpapadala. May karamdaman na po si Tatay Digong."

Senator Go recounted his personal experience during the attempted visit to Duterte on the day of transfer: "Alam n'yo po ganito ang totoong kwento para alam n'yo lang po 'yung totoo. Noong dumating si dating Pangulong Duterte, nandid'yan po 'yung tatlong doctor n'ya. Kaharap ko po si Chief PNP Marbil. Tinanong ko po, Sir saan n'yo po ba dadalhin kasi nandito 'yung mga doctor. Sabi n'ya dadalhin po sa kampo, sa 250. Kaya tinanong ko po 'yung spokesperson na hindi nagsasabi ng totoo. Tinanong ko kung saan dadalhin. Hindi n'ya ako sinagot, tinalikuran n'ya ako."

"Sumunod po kami. Noong sumunod po kami, hindi n'ya po ako pinapasok. That was 10 o'clock. 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock mayroon pong sumundo sa amin. Sumakay ako sa sasakyan ni Ma'am Honeylet. Pagbaba sa gate, pinababa po ako. That was 3 o'clock pa lang po. Pinababa po ako, hindi po ako pinapasok. Respeto lang naman ang hinihingi ko. Just for the record, sino ho bang pumigil nito? Bakit hindi kami pinapasok?"

Senator Go connected this exclusion to a larger pattern, mentioning another incident: "Kaya hindi po ako nagtataka kung bakit hindi po pinapasok si VP Sara noong gabi. Papaano papasok e sarado na 'yung gate. As in sarado lahat po ng gate sa kampo, sarado na po."

He described repeated attempts to gain entry: "Noong sinubukan ko pong pumasok, nagpaalam po kami, pinababa po ako kahit nakasakay na po ako sa sasakyan. Nakiusap na lang po ako na papasukin po 'yung mga doctor, 'yung tatlong doctor po. It took you about 3 hours, 4 hours pa po after his arrival bago pinapasok 'yung doctor. 'Yung oxygen n'ya nand'yan, 'yung ambulansya po nand'yan. Inantay muna about 3 to 4 hours or even 5 hours bago pinapasok po 'yung ambulansya pati 'yung doctor n'ya."

Senator Go then pointed out the consequences: "Doon pa po nalaman na mataas, 300+ po ang kanyang blood sugar. With those findings, kung talagang chineckup ng doctor n'yo nang maayos, he is not fit to fly. He is not fit to fly. Due for a checkup and admission po March 12. You may check with the hospital sa Cardinal Santos. Naka-reserve na po 'yon a week before pa po. Hindi naman magsisinungaling ang hospital."

Summarizing his point, Senator Go declared, "'Yun lang po. Ang gusto lang nating malaman dito 'yung katotohanan lamang po. The truth, the truth. Kung ano lang po 'yung totoo. Salamat po."

Senator Imee Marcos joined in questioning, directing her concern to General Nicolas Torre: "General, tama ba 'yung sinasabi ni Sen. Bong Go na tatlong oras nang nag-iintay 'yung sariling doctor ni dating pangulo at hindi pinapapasok ng pagkahaba-habang panahon samantalang may sakit 'yung kanyang pasyente?"

Torre acknowledged the presence of a doctor from Cardinal Santos and said she had even requested to bring in an ECG machine. Marcos pressed further: "Pero tatlong oras naghintay?"

Senator Go interjected: "Three to four hours po bago pinapasok ang doctor at 'yung ambulansya. Ginawa nga pong installment ang pagpapapasok ninyo. Una, papasukin muna 'yung isang doctor. Pinapasok na naman 'yung isang doctor. Finally po kailangang pumasok 'yung ambulansya, 'yung ECG mismo pati 'yung oxygen. E anuhin mo naman 'yung doctor kung wala 'yung ambulansya, wala 'yung ECG, wala 'yung oxygen."

Senator Go concluded: "Tingnan n'yo po 'yung records n'yo anong oras nakapasok. 10:00 a.m. 'yung arrival, nakapasok 'yung doctor mga alas dos na po siguro o alas tres. It took 4 hours. Pakiusap ko lang po, 'yung katotohanan lamang po. Huwag na tayong magpaligoy-ligoy dito, huwag na nating iikot pa. The truth lang po."

Senator Marcos ended her remarks with a sharp question: "Hindi ba kayo nag-alala na 'yung inaaresto n'yo e talagang masama ang kalagayan, malubha ang karamdaman?" Torre responded that there were sufficient medical personnel and cited a pre-landing video where Duterte claimed he was "okay." Marcos countered, "Pero hindi n'ya doctor. Ang ayon sa batas siya ang pipili ng doctor."

The hearing exposed a series of procedural and humanitarian questions surrounding Duterte's ICC transfer, with Senator Go insisting that the facts be laid bare.