Ex-Pres Duterte ‘can’t stop drinking’ Coke Zero – VP Duterte

International Criminal Court (L) and Former President Rodrigo Duterte. | PHOTOS: ICC and official Facebook page of Rody Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte “can’t stop drinking” Coke Zero while in detention, according to his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte.

She disclosed this as she provided updates on the conditions of her father, who is being detained in a facility in The Hague for crimes against humanity allegations in the conduct of the war on drugs during his term.

The vice president said her father, who is diabetic, had his blood sugar in control, and there are nurses who are monitoring his condition.

“Our only problem is, he can’t stop drinking Coke Zero,” the vice president told their supporters in Filipino in The Hague over the weekend.

Vice President Duterte said she only left four cans of Coke Zero for her father —one for each day—for his regular supply of groceries.

“He said ‘why is my Coke Zero only once a day?’ He said he eats three times a day— breakfast, lunch, and dinner—so he said he has to have at least two cans of Coke Zero a day,” the vice president told their supporters.

The vice president also said she would ensure former President Duterte has an “unlimited supply” of Coke Zero despite her apprehension about its effects on his health.

“I said, yes, it doesn’t have sugar, but it has sugar substitute, so you have a problem with carcinogens, and then you will deal with cancer. He said, ‘I’ll deal with cancer when it comes. I have diabetes, I’ll deal with cancer when it comes’,” the vice president told their supporters.

Former President Duterte will celebrate his 80th birthday on March 28.

He was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11 on the order of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

His administration’s drug war claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data. However, human rights watchdogs and the ICC prosecutor estimated the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019. They also said many of the cases were extrajudicial killings.

READ: VP Sara warns dad: ‘You could suffer Ninoy Aquino’s fate if you return’

Duterte had his pretrial hearing on March 14. The confirmation of charges is scheduled for September 23, and he may appeal for an interim release before that date.

However, Vice President Duterte previously admitted that the former president could no longer be brought back to the Philippines.

READ: VP Duterte says her father ‘can no longer be brought back to PH’

“So right now, I’m just keeping him comfortable, asking him to adjust to the ways inside and asking him to observe the other detainees and how they do things so that he knows how the system works inside,” she said.