Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that her family has been instructed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to stop publicly sharing details about the condition of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained in The Hague since March over alleged crimes against humanity.
“Niremind kami ng [ICC] detention unit na mayroong kailangang sundin na mga conditions sa visit,” Duterte said in a September 1 interview outside the tribunal, as reported by The Philippine STAR. She explained that from now on, they are prohibited from disclosing what takes place inside the facility or the conversations during visits.
“So, from now on, bawal ikuwento kung ano ’yung mga nangyari sa loob at ano ’yung mga pinag-usapan sa loob,” she added. The only update she could share was that the elder Duterte is “still alive.”
The former president has been in ICC custody since March 12, a day after his arrest at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport pursuant to a warrant issued through Interpol. He faces accusations of being an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the murder of alleged drug suspects and criminals linked to the Davao Death Squad from 2011 to 2016, and killings tied to the government’s anti-drug campaign between 2016 and 2019.
His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for September 23, which could determine whether charges will move forward to trial—a process that may take years before a final verdict. If indicted, Duterte would be the first Asian former head of state to face trial before the ICC.
Ahead of the hearing, the vice president said the family is still arranging who will attend the proceedings in The Hague, while she also prepares to meet Filipino communities in Tokyo and Nagoya on September 20 and 21. Over recent months, she had been providing constant updates and joining supporters in rallies outside the court, but the ICC directive now silences those regular reports.
