Vice President Sara Duterte raised doubts about the International Criminal Court’s ability to safeguard the health and security of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
According to the vice president, the family was not notified about an incident inside the detention facility and received no clear details on what occurred. She criticized the lack of timely medical response, even for basic treatment such as an ingrown toenail.
Sara Duterte also emphasized that repeated requests for a full-time caregiver were ignored, placing the former president’s life at risk. She described the detention as both “unjust” and “inhumane,” stressing that her father remains in custody despite not being convicted of any crime.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a welfare check had been conducted by the Philippine Embassy, calling it part of its mandate under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Philippine law to ensure the welfare of Filipinos imprisoned abroad.
For the vice president, however, the move reflected an “abuse of power” by Philippine officials. She argued that the incident showed a continuing disregard for the dignity and rights of the former president.
