While she denied involvement in her father’s bloody war on drugs, Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Jan. 23, said she is prepared to face only Philippine courts after she was allegedly named as a respondent in an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation.

(From left) Former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte (Presidential Photo)

In a statement, the official also maintained that she will face any accusations against her only in Philippine courts as doing so before foreign judges is an affront to the country’s justice system.

“Sa mga taon na nagsilbi ako bilang Vice Mayor at Mayor ng Davao City, ni minsan ay hindi napag-usapan o naiugnay ang aking pangalan sa umano’y Davao Death Squad (In the years that I served as Vice Mayor and Mayor of Davao City, my name was never dragged or linked in connection to the alleged Davao Death Squad),” she said, referring to the group allegedly behind the thousands of extrajudicial killings in her hometown.

“Subalit, matapos akong manalo bilang Vice President, bigla na lang nagkaroon ng testigo laban sa akin at ngayon ay kasama na ako sa mga akusado sa International Criminal Court. Hindi ko kailangan ng death squad para sa mga bagay na kaya kong gawin (However, after I won as Vice President, there’s suddenly a witness against me and I am now an accused before the International Criminal Court. I don’t need a death squad for things I can do),” she added.

This was in response to claims made by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV that Duterte is among the respondents into the ICC’s drug war probe during her father’s, former president Rodrigo Duterte, administration.

Trillanes alleged that evidence points that the Vice President, when she was still Davao City mayor while her father was president, allowed the Davao Death Squad to continue operating in the province.

Despite her denial of any involvement, Duterte said she will face accusations made against her.

“But I will only face any charge against me before a Filipino judge — and only before a Filipino court,” she said, adding that she will not be a part of a process that will embarrass the country and insult Philippine judges, courts, and the country’s justice system.

“Huwag nating ipahiya ang bansa sa buong mundo sa pamamagitan ng pagpapahintulot sa mga dayuhan na manghimasok at makialam sa Pilipinas (Let us not embarrass the country in front of the whole world by allowing foreigners to intrude into the Philippines),” she stressed.

“Ang kahiligan na magpailalim sa mga dayuhan ay sampal sa mga bayaning Pilipino na nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay at lumaban para lang sa ating kalayaan (The urge to kowtow to foreigners is an offense to Filipino heroes who sacrificed their lives and fought for our freedom).”

Her statement also came amid claims by Trillanes that the ICC was in the Philippines last December 2023 and that the investigators were able to gather enough evidence against the former president to issue a warrant of arrest “very, very soon.”

Despite saying that rejoining ICC is under study, President Marcos stressed that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the Philippines and it will "not lift a finger" to help them in its investigation.