THE Senate has adopted a resolution requesting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to place former President Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest for humanitarian considerations.
Those who voted in favor of the resolution, introduced by Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Juan Miguel Zubiri, were Senators Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Ronald dela Rosa, Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Sherwin Gatchalian, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Ping Lacson, Erwin Tulfo and Mark Villar.
Voting “no” were Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros and Bam Aquino, while Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III abstained.
Sotto said that while he supports efforts to bring comfort to Duterte and improve his well-being during this time, he chose not to vote to avoid further division in the country.
Senators Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar and Francis “Chiz” Escudero were absent during the voting.
The resolution states that, given Duterte’s old age and deteriorating health, the ICC is urged to designate a physician to examine the former president and determine whether he is fit for regular detention.
“Should the medical findings prove that his continued detention will further worsen his medical condition, the ICC is urged to allow the former president to be detained under house arrest,” the resolution reads.
“Such house arrest, or a similar appropriate arrangement, will be subject to conditions restricting liberty to be imposed by the ICC, presenting no risk to the integrity of the ongoing trial,” it added.
In a statement, ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti said the Senate resolution is “counterproductive,” noting that the Senate is not involved in ICC proceedings and it is unclear how it would communicate with the court.
“The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I will only consider matters of fact and law as it evaluates both of Duterte's requests for adjournment (because he is not fit for trial with 'cognitive impairments') and for interim release (because he is old and allegedly, sick),” Conti said.
“Unless the Senate has direct knowledge of Rodrigo Duterte's physical and mental health and its report is transmitted to the ICC through proper channels, then the resolution will be mere political noise,” she added.
The ICC charged Duterte, who was arrested in March 2025 and transferred to the Netherlands, with murder and attempted murder in connection with at least 78 victims of his war on drugs.
Vice President Sara Duterte earlier expressed alarm over her father’s continued detention in The Hague amid his “troubling condition.”
Duterte’s legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman said his client lost consciousness after falling on the floor of his room, but the incident was not immediately reported to the family or to him.
He said Duterte was later taken to the hospital, where he was assessed for cranial and brain injuries. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)