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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara questions ICC probe, cites alleged conflict of interest in Duterte case

VP Sara questions ICC probe, cites alleged conflict of interest in Duterte case

Vice President claims the ICC investigation was compromised, alleging conflicts of interest involving those who pursued the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte

Published Jul 30, 2026 11:13 am

At A Glance

  • Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the credibility of the ICC's investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte.
  • She claimed the investigation was tainted by an alleged conflict of interest involving former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
  • Duterte also criticized former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the individuals who submitted communications to the ICC.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte remains at the center of the International Criminal Court (ICC) case as Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the credibility of the investigation, alleging that the proceedings were compromised by an apparent conflict of interest involving former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. (MB Visual Content Group)
Former President Rodrigo Duterte remains at the center of the International Criminal Court (ICC) case as Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the credibility of the investigation, alleging that the proceedings were compromised by an apparent conflict of interest involving former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. (MB Visual Content Group)
Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the credibility of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming the proceedings were compromised by an alleged conflict of interest involving former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
Speaking before Filipino supporters in The Hague on July 29, Duterte traced the origins of the ICC case to communications filed in 2017, including one submitted by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Trillanes criticized over ICC communications
"In 2017, a lawyer submitted a communication to the International Criminal Court. And this was supplemented by a communication from former Senator Trillanes and another person," she said.
The Vice President criticized Trillanes, alleging that he had repeatedly used anti-corruption campaigns against political figures while remaining silent on others.
"That is Trillanes. Against Gloria Arroyo, anti-corruption. Against Binay, anti-corruption. Against Rodrigo Duterte, anti-corruption," she said.
"But do you hear him speak of anti-corruption when it comes to former President Aquino and President Marcos?" Duterte added.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/30/traitors-vp-sara-accuses-marcos-trillanes-of-helping-icc-in-duterte-case
VP alleges conflict involving former ICC prosecutor
Duterte then turned her attention to the ICC investigation itself, arguing that Karim Khan should not have been involved in the case because of his previous work.
"Who was the prosecutor who ultimately pursued the investigation? It was Prosecutor Karim Khan," she said.
According to Duterte, Khan had previously represented alleged victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines before becoming ICC prosecutor.
"He had a conflict of interest because his previous work involved representing the victims of supposed extrajudicial killings under the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines," she said.
While acknowledging that the ICC did not categorically declare Khan to have a conflict of interest, Duterte argued that the circumstances undermined the credibility of the investigation.
"They just said that the appearance of impropriety excludes him from this case. But how can you give credibility to an investigation by someone who represented the victims?"
"That is a clear conflict of interest. It muddles the entire investigation," Duterte said.
Concerns over fairness of proceedings
Duterte maintained that these issues raised serious questions about the fairness of the proceedings against the former president, adding that concerns over both the complainants and the prosecution should be taken into account.
"That is our complainant. That is our prosecutor," she said after outlining her criticisms of Trillanes and Khan.
The Vice President's remarks formed part of a broader speech in which she challenged the ICC's jurisdiction, questioned its handling of the case against her father, and reiterated her call for the former president's immediate release.
RELATED STORY: 
https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/30/vp-sara-calls-for-immediate-release-of-ex-president-rodrigo-duterte-says-icc-detention-is-unjust

Related Tags

Sara Duterte Rodrigo Duterte ICC investigation Karim Khan Antonio Trillanes IV
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