Vice President Sara Duterte has shared that her work in The Hague, Netherlands, has been completed. She mentioned that she is ready to fly back to Manila as soon as her siblings arrive to visit their father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently in detention at the Scheveningen Prison.
Rodrigo Duterte is facing charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, due to his controversial war on drugs that led to the deaths of more than 6,000 people. While in The Hague, Sara Duterte has been helping with her father’s legal defense by assessing the team of lawyers working on his case.
In an interview with reporters and supporters outside the prison, which has been converted into a meeting space for overseas Filipinos, Vice President Duterte said, “My duty here is done.” She explained that she had delivered the final document, which was a request from the ICC Detention Unit, and that her father’s legal team is now complete. The full list of lawyers for her father’s defense will be announced soon by Nicholas Kaufman, his lead lawyer.
Sara also mentioned that the legal team has set up a system for managing the lawyers’ meetings and the communication regarding her father’s needs while he is in detention. This includes scheduling visits and managing other tasks related to his care while in the prison.
Duterte shared that her brother, Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte, will soon take over her duties in The Hague. Paolo will be the next to visit their father after Sara’s current task is finished. After Honeylet Avancena, the former president’s partner, and their daughter Veronica return to the Philippines, Paolo will continue managing the visits and the updates from the family about what is happening back home.
Sara also confirmed that her other brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte, might be the next to visit their father after Paolo, but this has not been confirmed yet. The family is working together to ensure that visits and updates are provided to Rodrigo Duterte while he remains in detention.
Finally, Sara reiterated that the family is covering all travel expenses out of their own personal funds. With her job in The Hague completed, she is now preparing for her return home to the Philippines, where she will continue her work as Vice President.
