VP Sara to supporters: Don’t allow others to be ‘kidnapped’

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyers of former president Rodrigo Duterte are currently working on a legal remedy, in hopes of securing his release before the next International Criminal Court (ICC) hearing in September, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte told supporters in The Hague.

“We are currently working on things for him,” she said over the weekend.

The Vice President urged her father’s supporters to pressure the Marcos administration in ensuring that possible co-perpetrators in the case would also not be “kidnapped and brought to a foreign jurisdiction” to stand trial for the drug war killings.

“I’m truly thankful for your expression of support, solidarity…I don’t have the word, but I can think of disgust…over what happened – how he was taken from his country and brought to another foreign jurisdiction against his will,” Sara told supporters.

“So maybe we continue to let the government know what they did was wrong. What they did to a former president and a Filipino citizen was wrong and then we demand that there be some sort of accountability in our country for what happened so that it doesn’t happen again,” she added.

The Vice President reiterated that her father’s situation indicates that he could no longer be returned to the Philippines.

“I heard – and I don’t know if it’s true – that there are other arrest warrants coming out for other accused in the case. So we need to learn from what happened and we need to make the government understand that they did something wrong,” she said.

ICC documents on its website state there are at least nine individuals tagged as co-perpetrators, yet their names have been redacted.

Among those suspected are police generals, including the so-called chief architect of the drug war – former Philippine National Police chief and now reelectionist Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.

Earlier, the Vice President said she believed she could be the next person the ICC would order arrested.

Last year, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV – who filed cases before the ICC – bared that the Vice President has been included in the ICC’s investigation into the drug war, which initially was on drug-related killings during her father’s term as president and Davao City mayor.

Trillanes said this was because she allegedly green-lit tokhang operations when she was city mayor from 2016 to 2022, as reportedly stated by witnesses who have come forward before the tribunal.

It has been over a year since Trillanes’ statement, but the ICC has yet to confirm whether it would be including the Vice President’s last stint as mayor in the investigation.

Evidence tampering in VP impeachment?

With four more months before the Vice President’s impeachment trial commences, one of the 11-member House prosecution panel expressed fears of evidence tampering and witness manipulation.

“The longer an impeachable official stays in power, the greater the risk of obstruction – whether through intimidation of witnesses, manipulation of the system, or other means to evade accountability,” House minority leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan warned.

Libanan listed five main reasons why framers of the Constitution wanted the trial to start at the soonest time possible, which includes the objective to “prevent interference in the process.”

“The first reason is to prevent further harm. If an official is abusing their power, breaking the law, or acting against the public interest, allowing them to remain in office could lead to greater damage,” he said.

“The second reason is to uphold the rule of law. Swift impeachment reinforces public accountability and ensures that no one is above the law,” he added.

“The third reason is to maintain public trust. Delays in impeachment proceedings can erode confidence in government institutions and create the perception that justice is not being served,” Libanan stressed.

“The fourth reason is to preserve institutional integrity. If an official is unfit for office, their continued stay can weaken the legitimacy of the institution they serve,” the lawmaker said. He likewise highlighted the importance of setting a precedent to deter future misconduct by high public officials. “Taking swift action sends a strong message that wrongdoing will not be tolerated and will be met with decisive consequences.” — Delon Porcalla