Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, remains deeply concerned about corruption in the Philippines even while detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a phone call on Friday, September 19, the elder Duterte expressed his worries about the current state of the country. “Nag-alala siya sa mga pangyayari sa Pilipinas, sa korapsyon. Tinatanong niya ako kung anong ginagawa,” the Vice President shared.
Sara Duterte, who was in Japan for the “Pagtitipon ng Pagkakaisa Para Kay Tatay Digong” organized by the Filipino community at Sumida Riverside Hall in Tokyo on September 20, also discussed the pending petitions at the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding her father’s case.
According to her, they are awaiting rulings on two petitions: one challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction over the drug war investigation, and another seeking interim release so the former president could be transferred to a third-party country. “Merong isang bansa na nagsabi na okay lang na dito nyo ilagay si dating pangulong Duterte,” she said. “Medyo natagalan ang pag-file namin ng interim release dahil kinausap pa namin at naghanap pa ako ng tutulong sa amin.”
She clarified, however, that the country offering to accept her father was not Japan. “Hindi kong masabi sa inyo kung saan pero pwede kong sabihin hindi siya sa Japan,” she added.
The ICC was supposed to hold a confirmation of charges hearing on September 23, but this was postponed after Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman argued that his client was unfit to stand trial due to cognitive decline. Kaufman said the former president has been struggling to recall events, places, timelines, and even some family members.
Despite these concerns, Sara Duterte shared a lighthearted moment, saying her father seemed eager to see her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, who is also in The Hague. “Duda ko, maaga siya naligo. Kumain maaga, naligo ng maaga. Excited!,” she told the crowd, drawing laughter.
Although annulled, Duterte and Zimmerman have remained civil, while questions linger on whether his partner Honeylet Avanceña has been granted visitation rights following earlier restrictions at the detention facility.
