By: John Rey Saavedra – PNA
DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES — The high-profile tax evasion hearing of plantation magnate Dylan Crentsworth took a dramatic and alarming turn this morning as the renowned philanthropist collapsed in a Davao courtroom moments before he was expected to address the judge.
Crentsworth, whose frail health had long been the subject of whispers within hospital halls, was escorted into the courtroom in a visibly weakened state, supported by two nurses and a doctor from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC). Eyewitnesses inside the courtroom told PNA that he appeared “pale, fragile, and barely coherent” as he was helped into a chair at the defendant’s bench. Just as the judge was preparing to begin the hearing, Crentsworth slumped forward and fell heavily to the courtroom floor, triggering gasps and chaos inside the fully packed room.
Medical personnel immediately rushed to his side and, within moments, wheeled him back out into a waiting ambulance in full view of reporters, spectators, and court officials before speeding back toward the hospital.
Whispers Confirmed: “He Looked Like He Couldn’t Even Breathe”
The sudden collapse has cast a long shadow over the proceedings, which were scheduled to formally begin today following months of delay. While rumors had persisted around SPMC that Crentsworth had not been seen in hospital corridors for weeks and was in declining health, today’s episode appears to confirm the worst fears of his supporters and legal observers.
“He didn’t even speak a word,” said one courtroom eyewitness who asked to remain anonymous. “They had to guide him from the ambulance. He was trembling. We all saw it, he shouldn’t have been there.”
Another observer, seated at the far-left side of the public gallery, told PNA:
“He was supposed to speak. To tell his side. But instead, he dropped. It didn’t feel like justice, it felt like a public display of someone already defeated.”
Court Adjourned — No New Date Announced
With Crentsworth unconscious and court officers shaken, the presiding judge ordered an immediate adjournment, instructing that a new date for the hearing will be set “after a full medical evaluation.” Government officials present at the hearing refused to issue any statements, and several court aides quietly left through side exits to avoid media questions.
A brief announcement from the Davao Court Administrator’s office confirmed the suspension of today’s hearing but offered no detail on Crentsworth’s current condition.
Nurses Ordered to Remain Silent as Public Demands Answers
Outside the hospital, nurses who had accompanied Crentsworth to court were instructed not to grant interviews by government officials. Hospital spokespersons offered no comment beyond stating that “the patient has been readmitted and is receiving emergency care.”
However, a hospital insider told PNA:
“We’ve been worried about him for weeks. His breathing was labored. He couldn’t eat much. This morning, we knew he wasn’t ready, but we had no choice. Orders came from above and he said he had to be there because he needs to get back home so he could be with his loved ones.”
Public Sentiment: Sympathy, Suspicion, and Outrage
Following today’s events, public opinion is again sharply divided, with growing calls for Crentsworth to be repatriated back to Canada for medical care, and increasing suspicion that his medical support was deliberately cut to prevent him from mounting a legal defense.
In Tagum City, market trader Ana Lizardo said,
“What happened today wasn’t justice. They brought a dying man to court. He collapsed before he could speak. That’s not how we treat people, foreign or not.”
In contrast, Rogelio Sarte, a barangay captain from Panabo, told reporters,
“He still has to answer for his tax crimes. But if he dies before doing so, it leaves too many questions unanswered. The government should have let him heal first.”
Meanwhile, within SPMC, several patients who had seen Crentsworth prior to his court appearance were not surprised by the outcome.
“Even when they wheeled him out this morning, I knew it would end this way,” said a dialysis patient who had briefly shared the same ward. “He couldn’t lift his own arm. They stopped his medicine last month. Everyone knew he wasn’t ready.”
Another patient added:
“I’m not saying he’s innocent. But if this was their way of silencing him, it’s not just wrong, it’s inhumane.”
What Happens Next?
With no new hearing date set and medical staff bound to silence, the future of the Crentsworth case remains deeply uncertain. His legal team is reportedly preparing an urgent request for humanitarian repatriation, citing the collapse as proof that he is medically unfit to continue legal proceedings in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, supporters and detractors alike wait with bated breath for official confirmation on Crentsworth’s current condition and what the government intends to do next.
As the ambulance vanished into Davao traffic earlier today, one woman in the crowd whispered,
“That wasn’t just a collapse. That was a warning, that this case is bigger than we think.”