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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
June 13, 2025 | 12:20am
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has challenged Sen. Imee Marcos to bring Rodrigo Duterte back to the Philippines, noting that it was the senator’s brother, President Marcos, who had ordered the former president arrested and turned over to the Interpol and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“I always invite Senator Marcos wherever I go. I brought her along because I told her, it would not be me who will bring former president Duterte back to the Philippines because it was your brother who sent him to The Hague. You should bring him to the Philippines,” the Vice President said in her speech during the 127th Independence Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Imee had joined Sara on her recent trips to Qatar and The Hague.
The Vice President said Imee will remain as her “hostage” until her father is released.
“I will drop her once former president Duterte returns to Davao City,” she said.
Rodrigo is detained in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity stemming from his bloody war on drugs.
“I met people in different countries and one of them said ‘it is unthinkable for a government to surrender its citizen to a foreign power,’” the Vice President recalled.
“To them, we are a hindrance, an obstruction to the path of their personal ambition, an enemy they must eliminate to clear their way,” she added.
Sara is facing an impeachment trial for alleged graft and corruption, among others. She praised Marcos for her statement when the Senate recently convened as an impeachment court.
Duterte said the people in power “are cowardly yet openly disingenuous and arrogant, lacking human decency and respect for the rule of law.”
Duterte defense flawed- ICC
Resting on flawed propositions, challenges to the jurisdiction of the ICC made by Duterte should be dismissed by pre-trial judges, according to the ICC prosecutor.
The former president’s defense team misinterpreted provisions of the Rome Statute, ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said in a 34-page filing dated June 9.
“The Court is lawfully exercising its jurisdiction over this case… because the Philippines was a State Party when the alleged crimes were committed,” Niang wrote.
The Rome Statute has an important safeguard, in which withdrawal — which the Philippines did in 2019 — does not discharge a party from its obligations, he noted.
Withdrawals do not affect matters already being considered by the court, he maintained.
Contrary to the defense’s claim, Niang argued that it is immaterial when the exercise of jurisdiction started as signatories accept “without limitation” ICC’s jurisdiction over incidents that happened while they were part of the treaty.
On May 1, Duterte’s defense lawyers Nicholas Kaufman and Dov Jacobs challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction over the case and sought Duterte’s “immediate and unconditional release.”
Niang pointed out that per the defense’s arguments, countries would be allowed to evade the court’s jurisdiction simply by withdrawing from the treaty.
In a separate filing, drug war victims have urged the ICC to dismiss challenges to its jurisdiction, noting that releasing Duterte will perpetuate impunity and deprive them of justice.
“Victims expressed great concern at the possibility that proceedings against Mr. Duterte could be halted if the defense challenge is successful,” the 27-page observation filed by the ICC’s Office of the Public Counsel for Victims read.
No Rody biopic
Duterte’s life story is not for sale, his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña said.
“He told me to talk to his four children and tell them to never sell his life story as he said he never did it even when he was a mayor,” Avanceña said in a chance interview in The Hague.
“He said that I should issue a disclaimer on a book about him sold online as it would make it appear that we are selling it. We don’t have earnings from that,” she added.
Actor Philip Salvador had offered to produce a film about Duterte back when he was Davao City mayor, she recalled.
“He never wanted it, not for any amount of money. He told me to set dinner for his four children to tell them that his life story is for them only,” she said.
Avanceña said she brought Fanta, chips and Gatorade when she visited Duterte in his detention cell.
Duterte’s supporters will gather anew in The Hague and call for his release on Sunday, which will coincide with Father’s Day.
VP laments ‘abuse of power’
Abuse of power, corruption in government, widespread illegal drugs, problems in education, poverty and hunger remain a challenge to the country’s freedom, the Vice President said yesterday during the 127th Independence Day celebration.
“We did not achieve our freedom only to lose our rights and be dictated by a few,” Duterte said.
The country’s freedom should not be surrendered to traitors and without regard to the Filipino people, she noted.
Duterte is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with her family.
In his Independence Day message, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte claimed that his father’s detention “did not follow the due process of law.”
His son, Davao City 2nd District representative-elect Omar Duterte, asked for prayers for his grandfather.
“He is not perfect, but he should also not be forgotten or judged by foreigners who do not fully understand our struggle as a nation,” he said. — Diana Lhyd Suelto
