Vice President Sara Duterte departed for Amsterdam on March 12, following through on her statement that she would join her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in The Hague.
The Office of the Vice President confirmed that she left Manila aboard Emirates flight EK 337. Speaking to reporters the night before, Sara said she needed to consult lawyers regarding her father’s legal situation.
“We need to discuss with legal experts where he is being taken and what steps to take next,” she told News5.
Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested on March 11 for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s drug war, flew to The Hague via a chartered Gulfstream G550 from Villamor Air Base. He had a layover in Dubai before continuing to Rotterdam, near the headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement, Sara condemned her father’s arrest, calling it a betrayal of Philippine sovereignty and claiming he was being denied his legal rights.
Meanwhile, former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo filed a writ of habeas corpus before the Supreme Court on behalf of Duterte’s daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, seeking to bring him back to the Philippines.
