‘He’s in good spirits, well-rested’: VP Sara sees father in ICC custody

Manila Bulletin

Vice President Sara Duterte assured that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is “in good spirits” and “well-rested” while being detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in Scheveningen, The Hague for charges of crimes against humanity of murder. (Video courtesy of Harry Roque / FB)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/15/he-s-in-good-spirit-well-rested-vp-=sara-sees-father-in-icc-custody  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00So I visited the former president of the Philippines, he is in the hospital wing of the detention

00:14center and he is in good spirits, he is well taken care of, he just commented that he really

00:27misses Filipino food, that's all, but very recently in Mila, there was a fight, and then

00:42we discussed something about his legal team, and we discussed about the family, and we discussed

00:53about the country.

00:58The visit lasted for an hour, so it was from 4pm to 5pm. BP what was his reaction when he

01:12heard about the initial appearance?

01:17Well, we did not discuss his initial appearance, and we only discussed the lawyers and the legal

01:36team, and what we are going to do in the next 4 days.

01:42BP, were you surprised when you found out that the former president appeared via live

01:47stream? Were you expecting him to appear?

01:51I had no expectations, I did not know, I did not know he was appearing before live stream,

02:01but I think it was the decision of the doctor, so inside the facility all the decisions are

02:09made by the doctor.

02:11BP what's the plan now, the next hearing is September 23rd, how will the family prepare

02:17for this?

02:20Okay, so I have not discussed the arrangements with Nexodkin and relatives here, I will discuss

02:30it with them tonight, and I will relate to them also what the president said, and what

02:40the president wanted to know, and so yes, we have to create a relationship, but I will

02:49not meet until a relative comes to make sure that there is a Nexodkin given to him.

03:00BP, regarding your discussion with the former president, did he ask you anything?

03:11English, English.

03:14Okay, yes, when we talked, as a request he asked me to go home, so he repeatedly said

03:27do not leave the country, do not leave the Philippines, and so I told him that I know

03:34I understand that, and I do not want to be here as well, unfortunately I am the only

03:41one who has a Schengen visa, and I am the only one who is a lawyer, so I told him that

03:50when we are able to meet with the legal team, that I will immediately return home, and yes,

04:02do my work.

04:03Does the APRRD have a defense team ma'am?

04:06Defense team, yes, we already have a lead counsel, and there will be meetings, we had

04:12a meeting with him yesterday, and then we will have a meeting in person when he arrives

04:20this week.

04:22And how many?

04:24Is it Nicholas Tocman now?

04:28Yes, the President already appointed Nicholas Tocman as his lawyer.

04:40Ma'am, let me just go back to what he said to you, getting back to the Philippines, what

04:46was the specific concern about it, and if you can also address, according to Malacanang,

04:52they gave you travel authority until April 30 in several countries, what is the reason

05:00for the travel?

05:02My travel?

05:04The moment that I felt that it was an extraordinary rendition, the moment that it was a, I felt

05:14that it was a kidnapping, because they were holding him in P5-0, which is the airbase

05:20of the Presidential Air Youth Wing.

05:22I felt that he will not be able to leave that place, but he will be taken to wherever.

05:30At the time, we did not know.

05:32At the time, we did not know, so we were preparing for a list of countries where he may be taken.

05:42And at the time, I did not know how I will be able to enter that country.

05:50So we had to apply for travel authority for countries, because I did not know how I will

06:00be able to travel.

06:04So he will not necessarily go to BPA, or he will not complete the travel until April 30?

06:10With regard to the date, no, because at the time, I did not know also how long was I going

06:18to be, yes, wherever he is, so we applied for until April 30.

06:32But it doesn't mean that I will be here until April 30.

06:36So I will be here until the leader team is doing their work already, and another relative

06:44is here to assist me.

Category

Transcript

Recommended