According to a report by Feilong Network on September 25, former Philippine President Duterte conveyed his last wishes during his detention at the International Criminal Court through the former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

He said that his greatest wish was to return to his hometown of Davao in his final moments, to pass away peacefully in his own room, even if it was just for five minutes before death, he wanted to be in the familiar room.

On the surface, this statement seems to be merely an old man's longing for his homeland, but behind it actually carries a lot of helplessness and symbolism.

As a political leader who had long governed Davao City, his life trajectory was tightly bound to this land. Returning to the roots is not only a personal emotion, but also a continuation of his political identity.

But in the cage of the International Criminal Court, he could no longer control his fate, and even his physical freedom was taken away, so he had to reduce his wishes to the minimum, reducing the concept of going home to just five minutes before death.

Duterte

From a health perspective, Duterte's current physical condition has always been under scrutiny, as it has become an important factor in the case proceedings.

Duterte is currently 80 years old, and according to his lawyers, he has shown clear signs of cognitive decline, including memory loss, reasoning difficulties, and orientation problems.

These conditions directly relate to whether he is capable of continuing to appear in court for trial.

The International Criminal Court has postponed related pre-trial hearings due to health factors and has requested further independent medical assessments.

In addition to cognitive issues, his physical ailments cannot be ignored.

Previous media reports indicated that he suffers from neuromuscular system diseases, vascular blockages, chronic migraines, and back pain, which have gradually made him physically weak in daily life.

In court, the defense team has relied on these health conditions to emphasize that he can no longer withstand the intense trial procedures.

Naturally, these claims may not be entirely free of strategic considerations.

For a former president facing charges of crimes against humanity, health issues are one of the few possible reasons to seek leniency or delay, so the defense lawyers will inevitably emphasize them.

Nevertheless, the reality of Duterte's advanced age and poor health cannot be ignored, which is why he has begun to openly talk about death and his final wishes.

Duterte being sent to The Hague

Currently, there are some favorable factors for Duterte to gain freedom.

The operations of the International Criminal Court are not monolithic, and it allows temporary release or conditional release arrangements in certain cases.

Duterte's lawyers have formally submitted an application, with the main reasons being his advanced age, worsening health, and lack of escape risk.

They emphasized that Duterte, now 80 years old, would no longer pose a real threat to society.

At the same time, the International Criminal Court has also actively sought opinions from several potential third countries, asking whether these countries are willing to receive Duterte as a host country.

This action indicates that the court is not opposed to conditional release, but has already started considering the possibility of balancing humanity and justice.

More importantly, the prosecution has not strongly opposed temporary release in some aspects, but stated that as long as strict conditions are met, such as limiting movement, accepting monitoring, and prohibiting interference with witnesses, they will not object.

This provides space for negotiation and mediation for Duterte's team.

At the same time, Vice President Sara has also conveyed signals through different channels that a third country is willing to receive him. This operation is clearly aimed at creating public opinion to push for temporary release.

Therefore, although it is almost impossible for him to be completely released and return to the Philippines, conditional release, transfer to a third country for custody, or medical humanitarian placement are all possible.

Sara

However, whether Duterte's last wishes will ultimately be fulfilled is not optimistic.

Legally, the International Criminal Court is unlikely to allow the defendant to return to his home country, especially to his political stronghold to enjoy his final days, which would be tantamount to challenging the court's authority.

There are also political obstacles; if the Philippine government allows him to return home to die, it would be equivalent to undermining President Marcos Jr., meaning that it is unlikely to happen until Marcos Jr. leaves office.

A more likely scenario is that if his health assessment results are extremely unfavorable, the court may approve his transfer to a third country for medical care and allow family visits and companionship under certain conditions, but this is still far from what he mentioned about returning to his room in Davao.

Perhaps, in the end, it will come down to how long he lives; as long as he lives long enough, everything is still possible, especially given that Sara is highly likely to become the next president.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554243478399336975/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author, and you are welcome to express your attitude by clicking the 【top/down】 buttons below.