Sara Duterte Criticizes ICC Over Father's Arrest
(MENAFN) Sara Duterte, daughter of ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and currently serving as vice president, has sharply criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of interfering in her country's internal matters.
She called on the court to drop all allegations and set her father free.
Rodrigo Duterte was detained in March 2025 at the international airport in Manila, six years after the Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC.
He was transferred to The Hague to face accusations of crimes against humanity tied to his controversial war on drugs—a campaign that several Western bodies claim involved unlawful killings.
Duterte has consistently rejected these charges, describing his detention as illegitimate.
At a rally titled ‘Free Duterte Now’ held in The Hague on Saturday, Sara Duterte declared, “The ICC is meddling in our country’s affairs.”
She continued, “They also meddle in our governance, because they have an agenda... They intervene in how the Filipinos govern the Philippines.”
These statements were part of her broader condemnation of the ICC’s role in what she sees as an intrusion into national sovereignty.
The ICC has defended its involvement, maintaining it retains legal authority because the alleged offenses happened while the Philippines was still a member from 2011 to 2019.
However, skeptics argue the tribunal lacks jurisdiction following the country's formal exit.
Many of the court's detractors believe it disproportionately targets nations from the Global South and allege it operates with a neo-colonial slant, promoting Western priorities over impartial global justice.
In her address, Sara Duterte also attacked those testifying against her father.
She claimed that the main witnesses lacked credibility, describing them as psychologically unstable.
Referring to ex-Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, the leading accuser, she remarked that he has “loose bolts.”
Additionally, she accused current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being “drug-addled,” asserting that his administration is cooperating with the ICC and financing “fake witnesses” to build a false narrative against her father.
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