MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte has left for the Netherlands to consult with legal experts following the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte was taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on March 11 at around 9:40 a.m. under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
Confirming her trip, Vice President Duterte said she is coordinating with legal counsel abroad regarding her father’s case.
“There are already arrangements in place because I need to discuss with the lawyers wherever he may be taken,” she said. “Our legal team and I will be there to determine the necessary steps.”
She criticized the ICC’s actions, calling them “unprecedented” and questioning the manner of her father’s arrest.
“I spoke with our ICC lawyer, and he said this has never happened before. It’s crazy,” Duterte remarked.
Despite her camp’s assertion that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, sources reported that the former president was seen boarding a chartered Gulfstream G550 at Villamor Air Base around 9 p.m. on March 11. The aircraft departed at 11:03 p.m., reportedly bound for The Hague, Netherlands.
Vice President Duterte expressed frustration, arguing that her father should have been tried under the Philippine legal system.
“The ICC’s own rules state that the defendant should be prosecuted in a local court. He should have faced trial here, within our jurisdiction,” she said.
She also criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accusing him of reversing his previous stance against cooperating with the ICC.
“I wrote him a letter, and he responded that there would be no cooperation with the ICC. We will release that letter,” she added.
Duterte further denounced what she described as a betrayal of national sovereignty.
“Where else do you see a country handing over its own citizen to foreigners? It’s shameful as a Filipino,” she said.
