Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday brushed off the request to allow former President Rodrigo Duterte to return home to the Philippines.
According to Bersamin, he cannot comment on the request as it falls outside the purview of the Executive Branch.
"I am not too sure how to respond to that because that's outside of our purview. Whatever opinions supposed lawyers have about their respective clients, we leave it to them. We should not be made to react because we do not care about their comments," he said.
Bersamin also asked who Kaufman is.
Nicholas Kaufman is Duterte's legal counsel on the charges he is currently facing at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Earlier, the ICC postponed the hearing for confirmation of charges against Duterte, citing the need to assess the former President's fitness to stand trial. The hearing was originally scheduled for 23 September.
According to Kaufman, the defense team has been struggling with Duterte’s “progressively deteriorating medical situation which has affected his ability to assimilate the evidence and to give his lawyers proper instructions.”
The former Philippine leader turned 80 in March, following his arrest and subsequent turnover to the ICC.
In August, Duterte’s camp renewed the request for an interim release to an undisclosed country, "subject to any conditions deemed appropriate."