Sara Duterte slams ICC after father Rodrigo was allegedly found 'unconscious' in detention
Vice President Sara Duterte claims that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, was found unconscious on the floor of his room as he is being held by the International Criminal Court.
In a statement on her Facebook page, Sara slammed the ICC for allowing government agents who "abducted" Rodrigo to "intrude upon him and exploit his frail and compromised health." This comes after the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it conducted a welfare check on the detained former president.
"This is nothing less than an abuse of power against a vulnerable individual," she stressed.
Sara also said that her family received "credible information" from hospital sources about how Rodrigo underwent laboratory tests after being found unconscious.
"The family was not informed of the 'accident' and no explanation was given," she said, adding that this raises "grave concerns" about the ICC's capacity to guarantee the safety of her father.
"Even the most basic care for the complaint of an ingrown toenail—easily treatable—cannot be done swiftly. The ICC has persistently ignored the clear need for a 24-hour bedside caregiver," she said.
The VP also said that her father is not a flight risk, has never threatened witnesses or complainants, and has no intent to assume the office of mayor in Davao City.
"There is no other reason for his continued detention except to make him suffer for the complaint of a disgraced former Senator," Sara said, referring to ex-senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
"The ICC should act now to rectify this gross injustice and ensure that former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte is afforded the proper care and, ultimately, the humanitarian considerations he rightfully deserves," she ended.
Will Duterte be released?
In the latest filing of Rodrigo's lead defense counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, to the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, he stated that the Philippine government appears willing to accept a decision that would grant Rodrigo interim release "without objection."
He then cited a statement from Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro where she commented on on Sara's foreign trips: "Nagbunga naman po yata ang madalas niyang pagbibiyahe. So, kung iyan ay good news po sa kanila at kung ano po ang magiging desisyon ng ICC, tatanggapin naman po iyan ng pamahalaang [Ferdinand] Marcos Jr."
However, in a statement sent to reporters, Castro alleged that Kaufman had "mastered the art of twisting some facts."
"He had done this action before when he asserted that the ICC prosecutor had no objection with former president Duterte’s request for interim release. However, after the ICC prosecutor filed an opposition, it was revealed to be his false allegation," she said.
She maintained that the Marcos Jr. administration is not privy and has no hand in the request for interim release.
ICC prosecutors have now charged Rodrigo with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his "war on drugs."
Rodrigo was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night, and has been held at the ICC's detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.
At his initial hearing, he followed by video link, appearing dazed and frail, barely speaking.
