MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, did not meet with officials of the Chinese government during their stay in Hong Kong last week.
Duterte told reporters last night at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City that her father had "willingly" decided to return to the Philippines with the expectation of surrendering to local authorities.
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"Wala syang kausap ... from Chinese ... 4 p.m. yung flight nya sa Cathay Pacific diba. Sabi niya, agahan natin ng 7 a.m. para makabalik na ako sa Pilipinas," the vice president said when asked if the former president reached out to the Chinese government.
Duterte added: "That was willingly surrendering himself to the jurisdiction of Philippine authorities, not the ICC."
Former President Duterte was arrested on Tuesday morning, March 11, after the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The elder Duterte was taken into police custody at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after arriving from Hong Kong, where he attended an event with supporters.
But the former president did not willingly surrender himself. Prior to stepping down from the plane, the elder Duterte can be heard telling authorities in a video footage: "You will just have to kill me.”
The ICC issued the warrant for Duterte’s alleged criminal responsibility under Article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute, particularly for crimes against humanity (murder) under Article 7(1)(a).
This is in connection to the thousands killed during the brutal war on drugs during Duterte's term as president, and earlier, as Davao City mayor. Official Philippine government records estimate the death toll at approximately 6,000 but rights groups say the number could be as high as 30,000.
What did China say?
Hong Kong, through the spokesperson of the commissioner's office, had already issued a statement on Monday saying that the father-and-daughter Duterte was in Hong Kong for a "private vacation trip."
"The rallies held by Philippine citizens in Hong Kong have been applied for in advance in accordance with the laws and regulations of the SAR," it added.
Hong Kong maintains an independent legal system from China but has increasingly fallen under Beijing's direct rule in recent years.
China, meanwhile, has already said it is closely following Duterte's case at the ICC.
At a press conference on Tuesday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: "This is an important sudden incident. China has noted the news and is closely following how this might develop."
China is not a member of the ICC and was one of only seven states that voted against the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998. While China participated in drafting the statute and has expressed some support for the court's mission, it has maintained concerns about potential political bias and has never ratified the treaty.
China's foreign ministry spokesperson, however, urged the ICC to "avoid politicization or double standards."
"I would like to reiterate China’s consistent view that the International Criminal Court should strictly follow the principle of complementarity, exercise its functions and powers prudently in accordance with the law and prevent politicization or double standards," Mao said.