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September 13, 2025 | 6:41pm
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, during a hearing of the House quad committee, Nov. 14, 2024. This is the elder Duterte's first time facing the panel, while the vice president was there to watch the proceedings.
House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — A prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) pointed to Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial remarks, including claims that her father was “kidnapped” and suggestions of a “jailbreak,” as among the reasons to deny former president Rodrigo Duterte’s renewed bid for interim release.
In an eight-page filing submitted on September 12 and posted on the ICC website, Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang cited several remarks made by the vice president in her interviews and public statements while in The Hague, including her rejection of the court’s jurisdiction.
"Mr. Duterte’s family members have continued to reject the legitimacy of his legal proceedings before the Court," the filing read. "For example, on 19 July 2025, Sara Duterte, the current Vice President of the Philippines, spoke in front of a crowd in The Hague and was interviewed afterwards. During this event, she repeated the claim that Mr Duterte was 'kidnapped' by the ICC and stated that it was 'illegal' to bring him to the Court."
The prosecutor added: "She also told supporters, supposedly in jest, that she had discussed breaking Mr Duterte out of the ICC Detention Unit with a colleague. She reportedly made similar comments during a Facebook live stream while in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the 'Netherlands') allegedly stating 'let’s all collaborate on a jailbreak.'”
The vice president also accused the ICC of “colluding” with the Philippine government by paying “fake witnesses.”
"She (Sara Duterte) also blamed the Government of the Netherlands for having joined the 'extraordinary rendition' of Mr. Duterte, and blamed the ICC for accepting Mr. Duterte 'with open arms' despite having been 'kidnapped from his own land,'” the document read.
On August 19, she was quoted as saying that her father had “repeatedly” expressed his wish to “return to his hometown” of Davao City if released, the same city where he had vowed to “double” the killings the “moment [he] return[s]” if elected Mayor." Duterte ran for mayor of Davao City in the May 12, 2025 local elections and won by a landslide.
"These examples demonstrate a pattern of the Duterte family refusing to accept the legitimacy of the legal proceedings against Mr. Duterte and should militate against granting his interim release," Niang said.
Beyond the vice president's statements, the ICC prosecutor warned that her father’s release would carry grave risks.
"Recent events demonstrate that the continued detention of Mr. Duterte is necessary to ensure that he does not obstruct or endanger the investigation or court proceedings," the prosecutor said.
Niang said that Duterte's release would give him "greater access to his associates and family who are actively attempting to interfere with the proceedings against him."
"For the reasons cited above, and in its Response, the Prosecution submits that Mr Duterte presents a risk pursuant to article 58(1)(b) of the Statute and his Request should therefore be denied," the prosecutor said.
Niang, who signed the response, asked before Pre-Trial Chamber I to reject the request, stressing that Duterte’s continued detention is necessary to safeguard the trial.
The confirmation of charges hearing against Duterte was initially scheduled for September 23. However, on September 8, the hearing was postponed indefinitely after the defense team requested an adjournment, arguing that the elder Duterte was unfit to stand trial.
Charges were formally presented during Duterte’s first court appearance in March 2025, accusing him of criminal responsibility for the murder of at least 43 individuals. These killings include 19 by the Davao Death Squad during his time as Davao City mayor and 24 others carried out by law enforcement under his presidency.
Despite the official police count of over 6,000 fatalities during Duterte’s nationwide campaign against illegal drugs from 2016 to 2019, human rights organizations estimate the true number of deaths may be as high as 30,000.
