Vice President Sara Duterte shared her excitement about returning to the Philippines, now that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, has a legal defense team in place. In a recent ambush interview, she confirmed that the necessary arrangements for her father’s defense were well-organized, allowing her to head back to Manila soon.
“I’m excited to go home. I’ll just book the travel arrangements to go home,” Vice President Duterte said when asked if she was ready to fly back to the Philippines. While she did not disclose the exact date of her return, she made it clear that everything was set in terms of legal support for her father.
Duterte had previously stated that she would remain in The Hague, Netherlands, until her father’s legal team was properly arranged and another family member arrived to assist in his care. With these matters now settled, she is looking forward to coming back to the Philippines.
The Vice President mentioned that her father had already met with his new lawyer and that the scheduling of meetings, along with the family’s visiting system at the detention unit, had been finalized. Duterte also emphasized that the entire process was “organized” and that there was a clear system in place for her father’s legal proceedings.
Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested in Manila on March 11, was swiftly flown to The Hague to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC). He is accused of crimes against humanity, particularly for his administration’s controversial war on drugs, which has been linked to thousands of extrajudicial killings. The ICC has scheduled his confirmation of charges hearing for September 23, following his pretrial hearing on March 14.