Shortly after arriving at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday morning, Vice President Sara Duterte made a statement, saying the Dutertes are not the real problem of the country, citing poverty and hunger.
"Huwag natin kalimutan na ang problema ng bayan ay hindi ang mga Duterte. Ang totoong problema ng bayan, kayong lahat nandito kayo, nakikipagsapalaran kayo sa ibang bansa dahil walang oportunidad doon sa ating bansa (Let us not forget that the problem of the country is not the Dutertes. The real problem of the nation, all of you are here, braving the odds because there is no opportunity in our country)," she said in an interview with reporters in front of the ICC.
"Patuloy ang kahirapan, patuloy ang kagutuman, patuloy na walang nangyayaring kaunlaran (Poverty and hunger continues; there is still no progress)," she went on.
The Vice President was seen arriving at the ICC at around 10 a.m. on Friday (5 p.m. Manila time), hoping to attend former president Rodrigo Duterte's first ICC appearance.
She was accompanied by former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Senator Robin Padilla.
According to the Vice President, they were talking with the ICC personnel to gain access to her father.
"We're currently talking with ICC personnel inside so we can do a visit and then, we can attend the initial appearance later this afternoon," she told reporters there.
She also disclosed that Duterte's lawyers had a conference yesterday, March 13, in preparation of the former president's first ICC appearance.
"Yesterday, there was a conference with lawyers and they are here right now trying to access the former president," she said.
The younger Duterte also took the opportunity to thank the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Embassy for assisting her during her arrival in the Netherlands.
"First of, we'd like to thank the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they have assisted me in my arrival here in the Hague. And we'd like to thank, as well, the Philippine Embassy here in the Netherlands for their assistance as well," she said.
"And we'd like to thank the support of our kababayan here in the European Union and around the world for former president Rodrigo Duterte," she added.