Third Country Agrees to Host Former Philippines President

(MENAFN) An undisclosed third nation has consented to host former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte if the International Criminal Court (ICC) allows him temporary release, his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, stated on Sunday.

Addressing an audience at a public gathering in Nagoya, Japan, Duterte mentioned that she contacted acquaintances she had established in Southeast Asia during her tenure as Education Secretary, according to a Philippine broadcaster on Monday.

She indicated that a specific country was "willing" to take Duterte after her conversations with these contacts.

Nonetheless, she refrained from revealing the nation’s name or the individuals involved.

The vice president of the Philippines voiced concern over her 80-year-old father still being held in the ICC detention center, despite his medical issues.

She stressed that Duterte only wished to return to the Philippines and had no plans to go into hiding.

Previously, Duterte's attorneys informed the ICC that he suffers from "significant cognitive deficiencies," as stated in an Aug. 18 defense request, which was made public by the court earlier this month.

The legal team argued that Duterte’s condition will not improve and concluded that, "for this reason, the Pre-Trial Chamber must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely."

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