Sara Duterte admits dad unlikely to return to Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte believes former President Rodrigo Duterte will likely be unable to return to the Philippines following his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court, saying instead that the country should "move on" and find a "way forward."
At a virtual press conference on Thursday, March 20, Duterte said harboring negative feelings about her father's arrest would be "pointless" as he would no longer be brought back to the country.
"Hindi na siya maibabalik, hindi na magbabalik si Pangulong Duterte sa Pilipinas (He can no longer be brought back, President Duterte will no longer return to the Philippines.)," Duterte told reporters through Zoom from the Netherlands.
The vice president's remarks come exactly nine days after the elder Duterte's swift arrest upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and subsequent transfer to The Hague, Netherlands, where he faces trial for crimes against humanity related to his brutal anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Sara flew to the Netherlands the day after her father's arrest and has since been coordinating his defense team.
When asked about her wellbeing, the vice president said she was not "angry" or "disappointed."
"Sa totoo lang wala talaga akong nararamdaman. Hindi ako galit, hindi ako disappointed, nothing at all. Kasi pointless naman na mag-harbor ako ng feelings about what happened (To be honest, I don't really feel anything. I'm not angry, I'm not disappointed—nothing at all. Because it's pointless for me to harbor any feelings about what happened.)," Duterte said.
With her father now in ICC custody and the Palace unlikely to intervene, Duterte said Filipinos should "move on."
"What we should do as a country is move on from what happened. What will we do as our ways forward as a country and as a people from what happened?" Duterte said.
"Magalit man tayo walang papupuntahan yung galit natin dahil hindi naman yan sila papanagutin ng pamahalaan (Even if we get angry, our anger will lead nowhere because they will not be held accountable by the government)," she added.
After saying she felt emotionally detached from the matter, Duterte then criticized government officials' explanations about her father's arrest and suggested they had abandoned reason and legal principles.
"Nakikita n'yo yung mga sagot nila, wala na sa ayos, wala na sa rason, wala na sa common sense, wala na sa batas. Pero walang magagawa laban sa kanila (You see their answers—they are no longer reasonable, no longer make sense, no longer follow common sense, no longer abide by the law. But nothing can be done against them)," she said.
The elder Duterte faced the ICC for the first time last week at his initial appearance hearing, where he was informed of the charges against him related to his war on drugs as Davao City mayor, and earlier, as Philippine president.
He was also told, among others, that he had the right to "make an application for interim release pending trial."
The next hearing is set for September 23, when the court will conduct a confirmation of charges hearing where Duterte can challenge the prosecution's charges against him.
Sara on possible ICC arrest warrant for her
The Duterte circle's ICC troubles may not be over, however. Documents submitted to the ICC pertaining to its investigation into Duterte's drug war had also reportedly named the vice president, along with senators Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa, according to a 2023 VERA Files report.
Talk of a possible ICC arrest warrant for Dela Rosa has been circulating since last week, leading the senator to say in interviews that he would not surrender to the international court and possibly go into hiding.
Duterte did not definitively say whether she was already preparing for a possible arrest warrant. But she noted that she would consult a lawyer if the warrant gets out while she's in The Hague.
"Depende kung lumabas yung warrant na nandito ako sa The Hague, I will surely talk to another lawyer na para sa akin naman what are my options legally," Duterte said.
(Depends if the warrant comes out while I’m here in The Hague, I will surely talk to another lawyer for myself to see what my legal options are.)
If the warrant for her is issued while she's in the Philippines, Duterte said she would wait and see what the government would do.
Sara's name cropped up in documents submitted to the ICC as part of allegations that she knew and approved of extrajudicial killings during her term as Davao City mayor — a position she held from 2010 to 2013, and then from 2016 to 2022.
The vice president previously denied allegations of involvement in extrajudicial killings during her tenure as Davao City mayor, dismissing them as politically motivated accusations.
Duterte told reporters she does not yet know when she would return to the Philippines.
"Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ako dito sa totoo lang dahil hindi pa nabuo yung legal team ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. As Vice President may obligasyon ako na buuwin yung kanyang support group dito para may tumutulong sa kanya na makalabas dyan sa ICC detention," she said.
(I don’t know how long I’ll be here, to be honest, because former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has not been formed yet. As Vice President, I have an obligation to assemble his support group here so that there will be people helping him get out of ICC detention.)
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