Vice President Sara Duterte said her family has stopped hoping that former president Rodrigo Duterte will be able to return to the Philippines as he remains detained in The Hague while facing charges before the International Criminal Court.
Speaking in Iligan City on Feb. 25, the Vice President acknowledged the reality of her father’s situation following the start of the confirmation of charges proceedings at the ICC headquarters. The hearing formally opened at Courtroom 1 on Feb. 23 after months of delay.
“We are no longer looking at the chances of (the former president) coming home. We’re no longer talking about that,” she said.
She cited her father’s own words before the court, saying he had come to terms with the possibility of spending the rest of his life in detention. “If you see his statement in court, he told the court that ‘I have accepted that it is possible that I will die here in the ICC prison.’ It was stated in his statement to the court that he would not attend the hearings on confirmation of charges,” she said.
The Vice President said she did not follow the proceedings and declined to comment on her personal reaction. “I have no feelings or reaction to that,” she said.
She also disclosed that members of the Duterte family were not permitted to see the former president in person during the hearing period. “I would have liked to be able to meet and talk to former president Rodrigo Duterte. This is the confirmation of the charges period. But the family’s applications were not approved this week,” she said.
At the same time, she expressed appreciation for her father’s legal counsel, led by Nicholas Kaufman, saying the defense team had prepared thoroughly and projected confidence in contesting the allegations. “I am thankful to Attorney Kaufman and the entire legal defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte on his case at the ICC, his preparations and how they showed confidence that there is no evidence to prove that former president… committed the alleged crimes,” she said.
In the same interview, Duterte rejected claims that her early declaration of plans to seek the presidency in 2028 was meant to head off impeachment complaints against her.
“Last year, the impeachment was already there but I haven’t made a decision yet. If the impeachment doesn’t proceed this year, 2026, next year, I’m sure, the impeachment will still be there because that is the plan of the administration. What the administration is doing is silencing all the people who are saying the truth about their shortcomings and their lack of action on the problems of the people,” she said.
She added that the timing of impeachment efforts did not influence her decision. “Yesterday, tomorrow, today, the impeachment is there. The impeachment was not a factor in my decision,” she said.
Duterte said she finalized her plan to run in the fourth quarter of 2025, after which she “started to pray, reflect and meditate.” She also argued that delaying an announcement would not shield her from political attacks, saying she had already faced criticism even before confirming her intention to seek the presidency. “So why would I delay saying I’m running if I’ve already made a decision?” she asked.
Her legal team is expected to convene following the referral of four verified impeachment complaints to the House committee on justice. Hearings are scheduled to begin on March 2. The complaints were separately lodged by the Makabayan bloc, the civil society group Tindig Pilipinas, church and religious groups led by lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.
Duterte also declined to identify her chosen running mate for 2028, saying the person has yet to make a final decision. “He hasn’t made a decision yet. So we need to protect him. Because he might be subjected to attacks and his name will be ruined,” she said.
