MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsel Atty. Salvador Medialdea is now in a “regular hospital room” after receiving treatment at the hospital emergency room, the Embassy of the Philippines in the Netherlands confirmed.
In an official statement from the Embassy, it stated that the former executive secretary “fell ill” while registering at the reception counter when he went to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Detention Center early this morning ahead of his visit to Duterte.
“Atty. Salvador Medialdea went to the ICC Detention Center early this morning, 18 March, for a scheduled visit to former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. While registering at the reception counter at around 8:55 AM, Atty Medialdea fell ill,” the Embassy said.
An Embassy official, who accompanied Medialdea to the Detention Center, immediately called for medical attention, which was provided by a Detention Center medic, the Embassy added.
An ambulance was later called to bring Medialdea to a Hague area hospital where he received treatment, while a close relative was also in the hospital to accompany him, the statement continued.
Meanwhile, Senator Robin Padilla is requesting for prayers for the recovery of the former executive secretary through a post in his Facebook page.
“As’alu Allah al ‘azim rabbil ‘arshil azim an yashifika. I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, to cure you,” Padilla said in a Facebook post.
Padilla also posted a photo of Medialdea in a wheelchair and another photo of paramedics bringing a patient, believed to be Medialdea, on a stretcher to a medical facility.
Padilla arrived in the Netherlands last Wednesday or early Thursday morning in Manila (March 13, 2025), together with former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque, a listed ICC counsel; to accompany Vice President Sara Duterte.
Former President Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity filed against him by the ICC.
He was arrested in Manila last March 11, 2025, and was later flown via chartered flight to The Hague on the evening of the same day.
The ICC started its probe on the massive drug killings as possible crimes against humanity under Duterte from November 2011 when he was still mayor of Davao City up to March 16, 2019 before Manila withdrew its membership to the Rome Statute.
