Vice President Sara Duterte and former president Rodrigo Duterte are currently preparing to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.
(From left) Vice President Sara Duterte talks to former president Rodrigo Duterte during the House quad-committee hearing on Nov. 13, 2024. (Photo from the House of Representatives)
In an interview on Friday, Nov. 15, in Mandaluyong City, the official said that although she isn’t formally part of the ICC investigation, she is preparing for it.
“Sa akin, wala pa naman eh. Sabi ng mga tinatanong namin wala naman ako doon sa complaint. Wala pa ako doon sa investigation. Wala pa lahat pero naghahanda (For me, there’s nothing yet. Those we asked said I am not in the complaint. I am not part of the investigation. There’s nothing yet, but we are preparing),” she added.
Duterte admitted, though, that her father needs to be well-prepared for the ICC probe because he’s the one being investigated.
“Siya siguro ang dapat maghanda kasi siya ang unang dadalhin dun eh (He should be the one preparing because he’s the first one to be brought there),” Duterte said, referring to the ICC at The Hague in Netherlands.
The ICC is currently looking into thousands of Filipinos, mostly poor, who died during the previous administration’s war on drugs campaign.
A House quad-committee investigation has delved into a rewards system during the campaign, wherein hitmen would allegedly receive monetary rewards for killing alleged drug pushers.
The former president said during the first time he attended the 11th quad-comm hearing that he’s willing to surrender to the ICC, to which the Palace said they would not stop Duterte from doing so.
But the Vice President said the situation would “best to be answered by the lawyers,” when asked about Malacañang’s announcement that local authorities would consider cooperating with the Interpol if the ICC seeks its intervention in the drug war probe.
“Meron din akong lawyer sa ICC. But hindi kami nagkausap kasi after nung hearing. So, hindi ko alam kung anong way forward nitong ICC (I also have a lawyer in the ICC. But we still haven’t talked after the hearing. So, I don’t know the way forward of the ICC),” Duterte added.