By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News
Vice President Sara Duterte expressed belief that the 2025 and 2028 elections were the reasons why her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was brought to The Hague.
“Wala namang ibang rason na they will...kidnap o pagkuha o pagdukot sa ating dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dito sa bansa natin at dalhin nila doon sa ibang bansa upang maipakulong sa mga dayuhan kundi iyan lang— ang darating na eleksyon ay dahil malakas o malakas ang oposisyon sa 2028 election. Doon sa mga ayaw bumaba (sa puwesto). Panghahawakan nila ang kanilang kapangyarihan sa kanilang puwesto,” the Vice President said in an interview in Carcar, Cebu.
(There is no other reason why they would kidnap or abduct our former President Rodrigo Duterte here in our country and take him abroad to be imprisoned by foreigners except for one thing—the upcoming elections. It’s because the opposition is strong in the 2028 elections. Those who refuse to step down from their positions will cling to their power.)
Vice President Duterte said that the move to have the former president detained in the Netherlands was politically-motivated.
GMA News Online reached out to Malacañang for comment on the matter and will publish it once available.
In the same interview, the Vice President said she knew she is also in the list of persons who might be arrested by the International Criminal Court.
“Oo. Nasa listahan ako… Marami kami na nasa listahan ng ICC,” she said.
(Yes. I am on the list. There are many of us who are in the list of the ICC.)
“Nalaman ko iyan kasi pagdating ko doon, nagtataka ako bakit sa simula pwede pa ako bumisita araw-araw. Hininto nila, pagkatapos nire-record na ang mga pinag-uusapan namin ni Pangulong Duterte. So, naiintindihan namin na nakikinig sila sa aming usapan,” she disclosed.
(I found out because when I arrived there, I wondered why I was still allowed to visit every day at first. Then they stopped it, and later they recorded the conversations between President Duterte and me. So, we understood that they were listening to our discussions.)
To recall, the Vice President immediately flew to The Hague following the arrest and detention of her father last March 11.
She returned to the Philippines earlier this month after more than three weeks in the Netherlands. She said she will go back to the Hague to celebrate her birthday on May 31 with her father.
According to the Vice President, there are other names that are included in the list of persons who could possibly be ordered arrested by the ICC.
“Hindi lang ako, malayo pa ang pangalan ko doon. Ang nauna sa mga pangalan doon ay si Senator Bato dela Rosa, dating PNP chief Albayalde, at dating Police General na si Danao at Police General Caramat. Naroon din ang pangalan ni Bong Go. Mauna muna sila, bago ako,” she said.
(It's not just me; my name is in the bottom part of the list. The names ahead of mine include Senator Bato dela Rosa, former Chief Albayalde, former Police General Danao, and Police General Caraman. Bong Go's name is also there. They'll come first before me.)
The Duterte patriarch was flown to The Hague after his arrest and was placed in detention at the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison on March 13 (PH time).
He faced the ICC via video link the following day, where the court read to him the charges against him related to the killings under his administration's war on drugs.
The confirmation of charges has been set for September 23, 2025. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
