VP Duterte: It’s my duty to work on return of Filipino citizen held by ICC

Vice President Sara Duterte (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday maintained that it is her responsibility as the country’s second highest official to ensure her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s return to the country from his arrest by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Duterte made the pronouncement after the Palace recently reminded her not to forget her responsibilities as vice president.

“I perfectly understand that, in fact hindi ko naman gusto mag-stay dito dahil mga anak ko andiyan sa Pilipinas at trabaho ko. Pero as vice president may duty rin ako sa isang kababayan, isang Filipino citizen who is held against his will dito sa ICC detention center,” said Duterte in a virtual presser.

(I perfectly understand that, in fact, I don’t want to stay here because my children are in the Philippines and my work is there. But as vice president, I also have a duty to a fellow countryman, a Filipino citizen who is being held against his will here at the ICC detention center.)

“‘Wag na natin isipin na tatay ko siya; isipin na lang natin VP ako, at gumagawa ako paraan kung paano ibalik ang isang Filipino sa ating bayan,” she added.

(Let’s not think of him as my father; let’s just focus on the fact that I’m the Vice President, and I’m doing everything I can to bring a Filipino back to our country.)

She then claimed that she continues to perform her duties as vice president online.

The ICC currently has custody of former President Duterte after he was arrested and sent to The Hague for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s war on drugs which left at least 6,000 people dead.