Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Allowed for One-Hour Visit to Dad Rodrigo
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President revealed her conversation with her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague.
The turn of events that led to the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his transfer to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have shocked countless Filipinos. On Monday, the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) met him with an arrest at the airport.
Duterte has just arrived from Hong Kong when the arrest took place. According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), a copy of the warrant of arrest issued by the ICC was sent to Manila Interpol early that day.
The day ended with former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte being transported to Dubai en route for The Netherlands. Before he was detained at a detention center in Scheveningen, as part of the regulations observed by the ICC, former Pres. Duterte had his health checks.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte recently appeared before the pre-trial chamber of the ICC in a remote manner. He was sent a video link for his appearance while he stayed at the detention facility. Hours prior to the pre-trial, his daughter, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, was spotted outside the ICC.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte left the Philippines on Tuesday to visit her father in the Netherlands. Based on a report on GMA News, the Vice President confirmed that she was able to talk to the former President during a one-hour visit at the detention facility.
According to Vice Pres. Duterte, she told her father that he looks well-rested and he responded that he slept and watch television. The Vice President revealed that his only complaint is that he’s missing Filipino food specifically inun-unan, the Visayan equivalent of paksiw.
”As a request he asked me to go home. He repeatedly said, ‘Do not leave the country. Do not leave the Philippines.’ I told him I know I understand. I don’t want to be here as well but unfortunately I’m the only who has a Schengen visa and I am the only one who is a lawyer,” Vice Pres. Sara Duterte said.
The Vice President further shared that she told her father that she will immediately return to the Philippines after she will be able to meet with his legal team. Based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte plans to work remotely in the Philippines with the legal team of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Another Duterte family member may be coming soon as “everyone’s applying for a visa right now”.
Previously, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Nicolas Torre III said that Honeylet Avanceña, the common-law wife of Duterte, refused to go with him saying she has no passport. The CIDG Chief said she was the first priority of the authorities on the people who will go with the former President to The Hague.