No deprivation of food, legal counsel for Rodrigo Duterte during arrest—CIDG
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III refuted claims that former president Rodrigo Duterte was deprived of his needs while he was under police custody at Villamor Air Base.
“Wala pong deprivation at any moment ng kanilang right to food and water. In fact, dinedeliver pa nga namin e, and they are just the one declining na lang dahil sobra naman ang pagkain talaga e,” Torre said during the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) panel discussion on Thursday, March 13.
“Sobra namang dami; May delivery sila, may pabigay din kami so there’s really no problem, and hindi tama ang contention na dineprive namin ng food," he continued.
When Duterte arrived in Dubai for a short layover, his daughter Veronica, better known as Kitty, claimed that throughout the flight, the former president just had a sandwich to eat. However, Torre clarified that there were phone videos of Duterte eating a full meal.
When Duterte was arrested on March 11, Kitty claimed in her now-expired Instagram story that her father was “illegally detained” at the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing headquarters inside the base.
She also claimed that her father was not being allowed to "seek medical attention he badly needs," posting his scanned medical certificate signed by a physician, indicating that the former president consulted for follow-up care for diabetes management.
In the document, the doctor said that his “glucose level shot up to 328 despite the insulin regimen” and that he must be admitted to a hospital “to avoid acute diabetes complication of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis).”
However, Torre said that Duterte’s medical needs were accessible as PNP doctors and nurses, his personal doctors, and the chief of Villamor Air Base hospital were present at the time.
He added that the family insisted on going to the hospital at the time for a full checkup and electrocardiogram (ECG) test, but he maintained that all of his needs were available at the VIP lounge of the base.
“[Ang] sinagot ko sa kanila regarding that matter, ‘Sir, sa ospital ikaw ay [i-eexamine] din lang ng mga doktor na ito, ang mag-iiba lang is ‘yung location, pero ang gagawin sa‘yo ay exactly the same dahil nandito naman lahat ng mga gamit,” Torre recalled telling the family.
He added that they also provided him with a mattress, blanket, and blinds to let him rest.
“He was asleep the whole time. Mismong mga abogado na nagsabi, na ‘Paano kami makapag usap, tulog siya?’” Torre said.
It can be recalled that former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the PNP "did not allow" Duterte's lawyers to meet him at the airport.
The CIDG chief said that the family was using “delaying tactics” to prevent the ex-president from boarding the plane bound for The Hague, Netherlands.
“Delaying tactics na lang talaga. At the end of the day, there’s no deprivation whatsoever of legal counsel, ‘yung mga medicine niya, food; Naibigay natin lahat nang iyon. Medical needs niya, actually, sobra sobra pa,” he continued.
He also stressed that apart from Duterte’s family, PNP personnel had no physical contact with the former president.
“Not one of our people touched PRRD, I did not allow it. The only people who touched him are his bodyguards, personal nurse na isang pulis, at isa pang sundalo at pulis na bodyguard na lalaki,” he said.
Torre was also the one who read the Miranda Rights to the former president when he was placed in police custody after his arrest.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo also disproved reports that police were crying when Duterte was arrested.
"Sa dami ng entourage nila, sa dami ng mga pulis natin na andoon, napaka-init po ng suot po ng mga SAF natin, naka-camouflage po iyon, naka-sumbrero, kahit kami rin po ay basang-basa po ng pawis," she said. "Na-capture na parang nagpunas [ng pawis], nakayuko po, sinasabi po nila ay umiiyak 'yung pulis, hindi po totoo 'yon," she added.
She also belied reports that there were officers who resigned after Duterte's arrest.
"Nagtanong na po tayo sa personnel natin, wala pa naman po tayong nare-receive na anumang official na communication na advising the PNP na magre-resign sila," she said.
On getting ‘harassed’
During the panel discussion, Torre detailed his physical and verbal encounters with the former president, his partner Honeylet Avanceña, and their daughter Kitty.
“Itinulak ako ni Honeylet, tinabig niya ako at malakas ang pagkatabi niya nung nagkasalubong kami sa hallway. Nasa video naman minura ako ng kaniyang anak,” he said, referring to Kitty’s Instagram story on March 11.
“Mismong si presidente Duterte ay ni-remind niya ako magre-retire ako at aasintuhin ako ng kaniyang mga anak at kaniyang mga kamag-anak after my retirement, even before my retirement thinreaten niya ako,” Torre said.
Duterte was eventually flown to The Hague late Tuesday, accompanied by his lawyer Salvador Medialdea, nurse, and aide. Avanceña was supposed to be one of his companions, but she refused to join the trip, saying she doesn't have a passport.
“Kaya nga na-delay nang na-delay iyon kasi nga nagpalit pa ng manifest. Nagpalit ng manifest dahil nakasulat sa manifest si Honeylet,” Torre said, per ABS-CBN News.
"Sabi niya wala siyang passport daw, which I don't believe. Wala siyang passport galing Hong Kong?" he continued.
A PNP SAF member is also planning to file a direct assault complaint against Avanceña after she allegedly struck the officer with her phone.
Duterte is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. He is expected to go on trial for his alleged crimes against humanity for the deadly war on drugs campaign during his presidency and tenure as Davao mayor.
