Sara Duterte camp might use ICC issue to delay impeachment trial – Chua
‘THANKSGIVING’ RALLY. Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, on March 10, 2025 took their turns addressing their supporters gathered at Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district. —SCREENGRAB FROMSMNI CHANNEL VIDEO
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp might use the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue to delay her impeachment trial as they have already employed “legal maneuverings” to prevent it, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said on Monday.
In a press briefing, Chua said that while talks about the ICC releasing arrest orders for Vice President Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, are still unsubstantiated rumors, a trial at the Hague may be used as a reason to evade her impeachment trial.
Ex-President Duterte is facing a case at the ICC for crimes against humanity concerning his administration’s drug war, while Vice President Duterte is a secondary respondent. The Dutertes were seen in Hong Kong over the weekend amid rumors that an arrest order would be released soon.
“Well, we’ll look at their next actions, because even when we still did not have this ICC issue, the opposing camp has filed different petitions which we think are legal maneuverings,” Chua, one of the prosecutors tapped by the House of Representatives for the impeachment trial, told reporters.
“So if there is an ICC issue in play, so I’m sure they will make another set of legal maneuverings. So let us wait for what will happen. So tomorrow, during our meeting, maybe the possible scenarios brought by these rumors would also be one of our topics,” he added.
Thousands of individuals were reportedly killed during the drug war. While many lauded former President Duterte’s campaign, it was also flagged by human rights defenders for being violent and bloody.
Vice President Duterte, on the other hand, was impeached last February 5 after 215 House lawmakers filed and verified a fourth complaint hinged on alleged fund misuse within her offices, and threats to ranking government officials, particularly President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
READ: House impeaches VP Sara Duterte, fast-tracking transmittal to Senate
Under the 1987 Constitution, a trial should start “forthwith” if at least one-third of all House members — in this case, 102 out of 306 — have signed and endorsed the petition.
The impeachment trial, however, has yet to start because the Senate did not discuss the Articles of Impeachment at the plenary level before the session adjourned last February 5.
Recently, Senate President Francis Escudero said that the trial would start on July 30, with the new set of lawmakers elected during the 2025 midterm elections sitting as senator-judges.
READ: Escudero bares proposed calendar of Sara Duterte impeachment trial
Meanwhile, two petitions seeking to stop the impeachment trial were filed before the Supreme Court (SC). Initially, it was announced that Mindanao-based lawyers asked SC to stop the Senate from proceeding with an impeachment trial since the House supposedly did not observe the Constitution’s rules, which require it to act on filed impeachment complaints within 10 session days.
Eventually, Vice President Duterte herself also asked the SC to stop her impeachment trial. Her petition was hinged on a supposed violation of Constitutional provisions stating that only one impeachment complaint will be initiated against a sitting public officer per year.
READ: VP Sara Duterte files petition at SC to stop impeachment moves against her
Chua said if there is no choice but for Vice President Duterte to show up at the ICC trial, it would really mean another delay even before the trial starts.
“Well if she is really part of the warrant, of course, if this is implemented, they will be brought to the Hague if I am not mistaken. Then we will face delays … if that is the situation, we will have some problems with regards to the impeachment trial,” he said in Filipino.
As of now, the Philippine National Police still has no verifiable information that the ICC had issued an arrest order for ex-President Duterte. However, several netizens observed a large contingent of police units in Davao City, the Dutertes’ bailiwick, on Sunday.
READ: PNP: No verifiable info on ICC arrest warrant vs Duterte
Earlier, Chua also expressed doubts over claims that the Dutertes were in Hong Kong to meet overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), noting that the event was held inside a chapter of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC).
The KJC is a Christian sect founded by pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who has close ties to the Dutertes.
While in Hong Kong, former President Duterte addressed talks on the arrest order, saying that his actions during the war on illegal drugs were for the Philippines’ benefit.
READ: Duterte on possible ICC arrest warrant: I did everything for Filipinos
