Vice President Sara Duterte has denounced the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling it an act of “extraordinary rendition” and insisting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against him was invalid without approval from a Philippine court.
Speaking via video conference at a Senate inquiry led by Senator Imee Marcos, Duterte criticized the Marcos administration for what she described as an unlawful arrest on March 11 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. She argued that no Philippine court had issued a valid warrant and warned that the arrest set a dangerous precedent.
“If a former president can be taken without due process, what stops them from doing the same to any other Filipino?” she asked.
Rodrigo Duterte was apprehended upon arrival from Hong Kong and swiftly transferred to The Hague, Netherlands, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to his war on drugs. The former president appeared before ICC judges on March 14 via video link, with another hearing scheduled for September 23 to confirm the charges against him.
The Duterte family has since petitioned the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the arrest and demanding the government secure his return to the Philippines. However, their request for an immediate restraining order was denied.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration defended the move, citing compliance with Interpol and the country’s own law on crimes against humanity, which allows for the surrender of suspects to international courts.
Despite previously declaring a policy of non-cooperation with the ICC, Marcos has recently signaled a more neutral stance, stating last year that his government would neither assist nor obstruct the tribunal’s investigation.
