Vice President Sara Duterte has once again accused the ICC of kidnapping her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, on September 21. At a gathering of Filipinos in Nagoya, Japan, on September 21, she mentioned the former president's interim release application but quickly stressed that the ICC is abusing its power.
According to VP Sara, people with arrest warrants should be brought to a court in the Philippines, not just taken and brought to The Hague. She insisted, “They kidnapped former President Duterte, this is abuse.” She added, the accused has the right to be tried in his own country.
VP Sara's earlier remarks, such as joking about “jailbreak”, are now being used against her family. In a document released on September 12, the ICC prosecutor noted that the Duterte family continues to disregard due process. Because of this, it is feared that if the former president is temporarily released, he will have a greater chance of influencing the case.
VP Sara's defense is that there is no need to fear flight risk because her father is 80 years old and voluntarily returned to the Philippines from Hong Kong in March. She said the former president has repeatedly said that he wants to die in Davao City.
In March, Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and brought to The Hague in connection with a case of crimes against humanity from his war on drugs. Based on police data, more than ₱6,000 died, but according to human rights groups, it could have reached almost ₱30,000, including innocent civilians.
