More members of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s family will be arriving in The Hague, where he is currently detained under the crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC), next week, Vice President Sara Duterte said on Friday, March 22 (Netherlands time).
Former president Rodrigo Duterte enjoys a rare complete family dinner with his ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman and their three children: Vice President Sara Duterte, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte in a house last Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Duterte Family)
In a media interview in The Hague, the official disclosed that her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, will be arriving in time for the former president’s birthday. Duterte’s common law wife Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Veronica will likewise visit him.
Her brother, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, also has plans to go to The Hague, but the Vice President said she has yet to confirm if he has a visa already or when he plans to visit.
“Ang balita ko, darating si Honeylet and darating si Veronica. Hindi ko lang alam kung anong dates sila darating. Pero nagsabi sila, na darating sila (The news that I got is Honeylet and Veronica will come. I don’t know the dates when they’ll be arriving. But they said that they will come),” Duterte said.
“Yes, and ‘yung mother ko darating. Siguro on the day of the birthday yata. Hindi ko lang sigurado pa. Hindi ko pa nakita ‘yung kanyang flight details (Yes, my mother will also be here. Maybe on the day of his birthday. I am not sure yet. I haven’t seen her flight details),” she added.
The former president will turn 80 years old on March 28.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, on the other hand, already decided not to go to The Hague because of the upcoming midterm elections.
“Si Mayor Baste ay parang pagkakaintindi ko sa sinasabi niya pagkatapos na ng eleksyon kasi kailangan niya asikasunin ‘yung campaign doon sa Davao City. Kasi siya na ‘yung nagdadala ng mga konsehal (From what I understand, Mayor Baste said [he’ll visit] after the elections because he has to take care of the campaign there in Davao City. He’s the one campaigning for the councilors),” the Vice President said.
Their father will still be in the running for Davao City mayor, while the incumbent mayor is his running mate as vice mayor. The former president is running against his former Cabinet secretary, Karlo Nograles.
Despite being arrested and detained in The Hague, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed that the former president is still a mayoralty candidate.
March 23 rally
Meanwhile, the Vice President also confirmed that the March 23 rally for the former president will proceed in The Hague.
The event was organized by his supporters as they wanted to express their solidarity with the former president, who is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity of murder in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs campaign that killed thousands of mostly impoverished Filipinos.
Duterte said the rally will start at 11 a.m. at a still undisclosed location.
“Ang time is 11 a.m. Ang venue is The Hague. Hindi ko lang alam saan exactly sa The Hague iyong gathering. Maliit lang naman ata na lugar ito (The time is 11 a.m. The venue is The Hague. I just don’t know where in The Hague the exact gathering will be. It’s just a small venue)?,” she asked, turning to a supporter.
The supporter, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), refused to give information about the venue as it is being kept as a “secret” for now.