President Marcos said he was glad to have played a role in the reconciliation of Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, but a Malacañan official reminded the Vice President that she should first express gratitude to her father for laying the groundwork for it.

In a press briefing on Thursday, April 3, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said she had relayed the Vice President's expression of gratitude to the President.

"Ang sabi po niya (He said): 'Glad I could help,'" she said.

The Vice President said that while the older Duterte's arrest and surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) caused her pain and anguish, she is thankful to President Marcos because the arrest had brought their family together.

"This really is ironic, but I have to thank Bongbong Marcos because there was forgiveness between me and PRRD (former president Duterte) for all that has happened in our lives," she said.

However, Castro suggested that Vice President Duterte should first express her gratitude to her father, as their reunion was made possible by the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) cases linked to the Duterte administration's drug war.

"Mas maganda po siguro kung magpasalamat muna si VP Sara sa kanyang ama mismo, kay dating Pangulong Duterte, dahil kung siya man po ay nagkaroon ng pagkakataon, nagkaroon ng oras, kasama ang kanyang ama ay dahil po ito sa kasong EJK (It would be better if VP Sara first thanked her father because if she had the opportunity and time to be with him, it was due to the EJK case)," she said.

"Kung hindi po naganap at hindi po nagawa ang sinasabing mga aksyon patungkol sa war on drugs at walang nag-complain, hindi naman din po sila magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makapunta sa The Hague (If the actions related to the war on drugs had not happened and if no one had complained, they would not have had the opportunity to go to The Hague)," she added.

Vice President Duterte is in the Hague in the Netherlands to attend to her father's case.

The former president was arrested for crimes against humanity on March 11 and subsequently surrendered to the ICC.