Former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte would win if she runs for president, attributing his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a key factor in her potential victory.
Duterte made the statement while being held at Villamor Airbase following his arrest under an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
“My family, especially VP Sara—if she runs for president tomorrow or in the future—she will win because of what you did,” Duterte said in an Instagram live post by his daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte.
However, Vice President Duterte is also facing legal troubles, including complaints for incitement to sedition, grave threats, coercion, direct assault, and disobedience. She was impeached by the House of Representatives and is awaiting trial in the Senate.
Duterte was arrested earlier that day upon his return from Hong Kong and remains in police custody at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) director Nicolas Torre previously hinted in an Instagram story that Duterte is expected to be flown to The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC is based.
