As her fellow lawyer, House of Representatives Spokesperson Princess Abante says Vice President Sara Duterte should know how international judicial bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC) operate.

In a press conference Monday, July 21, Abante said that Vice President Duterte--daughter of the detained former president Rodrigo Duterte--should also be aware that legal remedies, including motions to dismiss, must be raised in the appropriate forum.

Abante was asked to respond to the Vice President’s call for the United Nations (UN)-backed court to drop the case against her father and let his countrymen decide his fate.

“Wala din sa saklaw ng House of Representatives ‘yung hinihingi ni VP Sara, pero bilang abogado, tingin ko alam naman din niya kung paano ‘yung proseso sa mga ganitong klaseng judicial bodies, ano ‘yung dapat nilang gawin. They have their defense lawyer to assert that before the court,” Abante said.

(What VP Sara is requesting also doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the House of Representatives. But as a lawyer, I think she’s also aware of how these kinds of judicial bodies operate, and what proper procedures they must follow. They have their defense counsel to assert that before the court.)

The elder Duterte is being held and tried by the ICC at The Hague in the Netherlands for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs.

Abante also issued a response to the Vice President’s comment that her father’s detention by the ICC was “dahil sa Marites”—a colloquial term referring to rumors or baseless talk.

“Well, ‘yung statement ni VP ay base sa Marites. Ang kaso doon sa ICC ay ayon sa ebidensya. Siguro doon tayo tututok kung ano ‘yung pinagbabasehan ng mga reklamo. Hindi ito galing sa anumang tsismis. Ito ay galing sa mga ebidensya at testimonies ng mga witnesses,” Abante said during the same presser.

(Well, the Vice President’s statement seems to be based on hearsay. The case before the ICC, however, is grounded in evidence. Perhaps we should focus on the basis of these complaints. They don’t stem from gossip; they’re drawn from documented evidence and witness testimonies.)

She stressed that the ICC case is rooted in an international legal process supported by documentary evidence and victim testimonies, not hearsay or political noise.

While the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 during the elder Duterte's watch, the ICC retains jurisdiction over offenses committed while the country was still a state party.