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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
March 29, 2026 | 12:00am
“As we celebrate, we also stand firm. The defense of his rights is a defense of our national sovereignty,” Duterte said in her video message.
Presidential photo / King Rodriguez
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte asked Filipinos to remain vigilant against the weaponization of the law and the unconstitutional intrusion of foreign bodies on the country’s courts as she greeted her father, detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, on his 81st birthday yesterday.
“As we celebrate, we also stand firm. The defense of his rights is a defense of our national sovereignty,” Duterte said in her video message.
The former president is currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity over his drug war.
His defense team has questioned the legality of his arrest.
“Our justice system must remain independent, serving only the mandate of the Filipino people and never the interests of foreign powers,” the Vice President added.
Malacañang has maintained that the Philippine government’s decision to turn over the former president to the ICC was lawful.
The Vice President thanked Filipinos here and abroad who organized celebrations to honor the former president as the Duterte family announced the creation of a website for his supporters.
“This website https://rodrigoroaduterte.com/ is dedicated to the supporters whose belief, encouragement and unwavering loyalty have carried our family through the years. More importantly, your voices, your energy and your continued presence give us strength and reaffirm our belief that true power lies in the people who remain faithful to God,” the Duterte family said in a statement.
The Vice President said her family only has one birthday wish for the former president, which is “he be given another year of good health for our Lord.”
She also led the celebration of the 89th anniversary of Araw ng Dabaw in Davao City, adding everyone is welcome except suspended lawmaker Rep. Kiko Barzaga.
“We welcome everyone to the celebration of Araw ng Davao…except for Congressman Kiko Barzaga who I was with in the 2022 campaign. And that’s all, our gathering and conversation, I don’t know them all, they’re not my friends,” Duterte said in an interview.
She added that many of those who attended expressed their support for her candidacy in the 2028 presidential polls and “for our call for justice in the kidnapping of former president Rodrigo Duterte.” — Edith Regalado
