Vice President Sara Duterte denied reports that former president Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team had applied for interim release in Australia in connection with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into his administration’s war on drugs.

“I’d like to clarify that the defense team of President Duterte never reached out to the Australian government to discuss about this interim release,” she said in an interview on Friday, June 27.

“There is no application of former President Duterte for interim release in Australia,” she added.

Duterte’s statement came after an email reportedly from a certain official from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade began circulating in relation to the ICC’s case. She emphasized that she did not know where the email originated or to whom it was addressed.

“This has never been discussed with the Australian government. There was never an application with the Australian government. And there is no intent as well to apply for interim release with the Australian government,” she said.

The Vice President said that while her father’s defense team submitted a document referencing two countries for possible interim release, neither was Australia.

“There were two countries indicated in the document, albeit redacted. I have to confirm that none of which is Australia,” she said.

She also urged the public not to assume that the mention of any country equated to an official application for release.

“There was a list of countries written by the defense team where they think they could apply for interim release. But that list was not submitted as formal applications,” Duterte said.

“It is wrong to assume that because there is a list, there was an application for interim release to all the countries,” she added.

Vice President Duterte recently went on a “personal trip” to Australia to attend the “Free Duterte Now” event in Melbourne.