Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte amid ICC Detention
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President expressed her hope that the case of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be over and he can go home to Davao City.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte remains detained under the custody of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands for more than 10 months now. The Duterte supporters continue to call for the return of the former President to the Philippines.
Previously, it was reported that over 1,000 evidence have been turned over by the prosecution to the camp of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. The foreign court also opened a microsite as it called for “direct witnesses” to the controversial Duterte drug war.
The former President is accused of three (3) counts of murder as alleged “crimes against humanity” filed by the ICC prosecution. The Duterte siblings and their other family members were taking turn in visiting the former President inside the ICC detention facility.
Last November, the International Criminal Court rejected the interim release appeal of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. At the hearing over the said appeal, Duterte waived his rights to make a personal appearance and he was represented by his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman.
Currently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is in The Hague, Netherlands to visit former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Following her visit to her father inside the ICC detention facility, the Vice President expressed her thanks to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in The Hague who continuously express their love and support for her father.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also expressed her hope that the ICC case of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte will soon be over and he can go home to Davao City. Based on the post, he assured that the former President is fine and even ate a “Menudo-like” lunch on the day she visited.
“Sa inyong lahat na nandito sa Duterte Street at tuloy-tuloy na nagpapakita ng suporta kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, ipinapaabot namin ang aming taos-pusong pasasalamat. Hindi na maubos ‘yung pasalamat namin dahil sa inyong pagmamahal sa ating Tatay Digong at sana ay matapos ‘yung kaso niya at makauwi na siya sa Davao City,” VP Sara said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte confirmed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte struggles to walk which she believes is “normal” for his age. She also revealed what she usually does upon arriving inside the ICC detention center and before she leaves.
“For an 81-year old Ma’am, normal siya na hirap maglakad… Hindi naman lahat pero karamihan… Pagdating ko nagmamano ako tapos yumayakap ako sabi ko sa kanya marami ang gusto nagpapaabot ng yakap sa’yo,” the Vice President said.
Previously, amid the ICC detention of the former President, Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque sought prayers for former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.