Vice President Sara Duterte claimed that her presence in The Hague, the Netherlands is not only as former president Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter but as the country’s second highest official who has a “duty” to bring back a Filipino citizen from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media during a virtual press conference in The Hague on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Screenshot from OVP Zoom meeting)
The younger Duterte defended herself from leaving the Office of the Vice President (OVP), stressing that she also doesn’t want to stay in the Netherlands because her children, family, and work are in the Philippines.
“Pero (But) as Vice President, may duty din ako sa isang kababayan natin, isang (I also have a duty to our fellowmen, a) Filipino citizen who is held against his will dito sa (here at the) ICC detention center,” she explained.
“So, ‘wag na natin isipin na tatay ko siya. Isipin na lang natin na Vice President ako at gumagawa ako ng paraan kung paano maibalik natin ang isang Filipino citizen sa ating bayan (let’s not think about the fact that he’s my father. Let’s just think that as Vice President, I am finding a way to bring back a Filipino citizen to our country),” she told reporters during a virtual press conference on Thursday, March 20.
Multitasking
She assured that she has been doing her duties as vice president remotely, and that the OVP projects and programs have been continuing despite the meager budget given to her office.
"Multitasking ako. Nandito ako sa (I'm multitasking. I'm here as) Vice President, ginagawaan ng paraan paano maibalik ang ating dating pangulo sa ating bayan. Nagtatrabaho ako (who is working on ways to bring back the former president in our country. I'm working) through our satellites offces, through our central office," she said.
“Wala po akong balak tumira dito sa the Netherlands. Hindi ko po gusto tumagal dito. Madami ako kailangang asikasuhin. Trabaho dito, trabaho diyan sa Pilipinas… Marunong ako bumalanse (I am multitasking. I don’t have plans to live here in the Netherlands. I don’t want to stay here any longer. I have a lot to do. Work here, work there in the Philippines… I can balance),” she stressed.
The Vice President earlier shared that her father has been pushing her to come back to the Philippines, but she remains adamant that she has to help him form his legal team and wait for another next of kin before leaving her father.
Although she has a return ticket to the Philippines dated April, Duterte said she isn’t sure yet when she can leave because her father’s legal team isn’t complete yet.
‘Move on’
The Vice President, who herself will face an impeachment trial before the Senate in July, expressed indifference to what had been happening to their family.
“Sa totoo lang wala talaga akong nararamdaman. Hindi ako galit, hindi ako disappointed (Truthfully, I don’t feel anything. I am not angry, I am not disappointed). Nothing at all. Kasi pointless naman na mag-harbor ako ng feelings about what happened. Hindi na siya maibabalik. Hindi na mababalik si Pangulong Duterte sa Pilipinas (Because it is pointless to harbor feelings about what happened. He cannot be returned. President Duterte cannot be returned to the Philippines),” she said, marking the first time she admitted her father might never set foot in the country for now.
Instead, Duterte urged Filipinos to “move on.”
“So what we should do as a country is move on from what happened. What will we do as our ways forward as a country and as a people from what happened,” she said, adding that nothing will result from anger because no one will be held accountable to what happened to her father.
Traitor
The Vice President refused to label anyone a “traitor” when asked if someone leaked their camp’s conversations and plans.
“Hindi ko man matawag siguro na traitor, pero sigurado ako sa dami ng tao na ‘yun sa loob ng kwarto na ‘yun ay meron talagang nagsasabi kung ano ang pinag-uusapan doon sa loob (I cannot call a traitor but with that many people inside that room, there will be someone who’s going to leak the conversations from inside),” she said.
“Kung kanino nila sinasabi, hindi ko alam (As to whom they tell it to, I don’t know),” Duterte added.
Reports said that someone from the Duterte camp convinced the former president to go home from Hong Kong, claiming that the reported presence of an ICC arrest warrant was just “fake news.”