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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
April 7, 2025 | 10:06am
Vice-president of Philippines Sara Duterte (L) addresses the people gathering outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, on March 14, 2025, as former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte appears for the first time before International Criminal Court to face crimes against humanity charges.
AFP / Nicolas Tucat
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte returned to the Philippines on Sunday evening, April 6, after spending nearly a month in the Netherlands, where she helped assemble a legal team for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at the International Criminal Court.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Duterte arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at approximately 9:56 p.m. via Emirates Airlines flight EK 334. The brief announcement indicated that "the Vice President is expected to address any pertinent matters in the coming days."
The vice president had departed for The Hague on March 12, a day after the former president was arrested and subsequently put on a chartered flight to The Hague. During her stay, she served as her father's primary family representative while he was being held at Scheveningen Prison awaiting possible trial.
The elder Duterte faces charges of "crimes against humanity of murder" over 43 drug-related killings that allegedly occurred from 2011 to 2019. The case stems from his controversial anti-illegal drugs campaign that rights groups estimate resulted in as high as 30,000 deaths.
During her stay abroad, the vice president defended herself against criticism from Malacañang, which had urged her to return to fulfill her duties. In a virtual press conference on March 20, she insisted she was "multitasking" and managing her office remotely while coordinating her father's legal defense.
Days before her return to the Philippines, the vice president reportedly expressed gratitude toward President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and said that her father's detention had created an opportunity for her to reconnect with him.
The OVP has not yet announced when she will resume her official duties.
