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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
June 5, 2025 | 12:01am
Former philippine president Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a gathering with the Philippine community in Hong Kong at the city's Southorn Stadium on March 9, 2025.
AFP / Holmes Chan
MANILA, Philippines — In detention while awaiting trial for crimes against humanity in The Hague, former president Rodrigo Duterte is open to exploring domestic laws in the Netherlands for legal remedy to secure his release, Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday.
In a video released by the Office of the Vice President, Duterte was shown telling reporters that it was former presidential spokesman Harry Roque who broached the idea.
“I can do that while I’m back in the Philippines, I will work on it online,” the Vice President said.
The Vice President and her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman visited the former president for the second time in The Hague on May 30.
During her last visit, which lasted for an hour and 30 minutes, the Vice President said she told her father only developments “allowed by our lawyers,” as they have “no privileged information.”
She said everything she told him was “public knowledge,” including their move to contest the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over the former president.
“And now there is a provision under the Rome Statute, we are also working on the interim release,” Duterte said.
After his arrest on May 11 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the former president was whisked off on a private jet some 12 hours later and flown to the ICC headquarters in The Hague to face trial.
“I asked him his message (to his supporters) as I told him that every day, his supporters are waiting outside… and then he said ‘tell them I am eternally grateful for your showing of support and I recognize your sacrifice which you do not have to do so you can now go home,’” the Vice President said, quoting her father.
The Vice President said she and her father also talked about their family. “He asked about the family members… He asked ‘where is (Davao Rep.) Paolo (Duterte), what he is doing?’ and next he mentioned Kitty,” she said.
“He saw the billboard of Kitty in Manila… and he was proud, proud of it,” the Vice President added.
She added that the former president even asked her mother if she knows Honeylet Avanceña, Duterte’s common-law wife. “And then my mother replied that she does know Honeylet,” the Vice President said.
Asked if he is suffering from insomnia, the former president said no, but quipped, “sometimes I cannot sleep because I think of your mother.”
“His style of sweet talk with beautiful women remains,” the Vice President said of her father.
She said Avanceña is expected to arrive in The Hague today. The Vice President said she and her brother, Davao vice mayor-elect Sebastian, are scheduled to return to Manila.
The Vice President said she also mentioned to her father the gathering of their supporters in The Hague on May 31 – her 47th birthday – as part of their campaign to bring the former president home.
“I gave a rundown of the speakers. Baste was there, Senator Imee (Marcos), senator-elect Dante Marcoleta, Sen. Robin Padilla, spokesperson Harry Roque, attorney Vic Rodriguez,” the Vice President said.
“We had 10 speakers and many people attended and showed their support… It was mixed feelings as we gathered because president Duterte is detained but I am so happy as Filipinos gathered for a single cause and that is requesting ICC to send PRRD home,” the Vice President added.
