Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that she will remain in The Hague until the legal team defending her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is fully formed.

“I will stay just until I get all the lawyers appointed by the court,” Duterte said in a Facebook Live session on 24 March, where she spoke before media and supporters in the Netherlands.

“They need to be vetted, cleared by the court, and once they’re all appointed, then I can come and go already.”

The vice president’s remarks come after Malacañang urged her to return home and address the growing controversies surrounding the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed that Duterte should continue serving Filipinos while also supporting her father.

Despite calls for her return, Duterte stood firm in her decision to prioritize assembling her father’s legal defense, citing it as part of her duty — not only as his daughter but as a public official. In her previous statement, she said that she is doing this not as a daughter but as a vice president serving her people,

“I don’t even want to stay here since my children and my family are all in the Philippines, and my job is also there in the Philippines,” she explained. “But as Vice President, I also have a duty to a fellow Filipino citizen who is held against his will in the ICC detention center.”

She revealed that while her return flight is already booked for April, her approved travel authority extends until 30 April, covering potential trips to Germany, France, and Belgium.

During the session, Duterte shared details about her father’s current situation in detention, revealing that while he has access to basic facilities, there are certain restrictions in place.

“Bringing food inside is not allowed, but he is allowed to cook for himself,” she said. “I encouraged him earlier, ‘Papa, you should just cook,’ and he replied, ‘I cannot even boil water.’”

She also noted that she had sent a bag of clothes from Davao, which was received and scheduled for delivery to the former president the next day.

Duterte also said that her father had access to a computer but was struggling to use it.

“I was asking him, ‘Magsulat ka na lang ng libro, and when you get out, we sell it and make money out of it.’ He said, ‘I’m too old to write a book.’”

As speculation continues over her political future and role in the administration, Duterte made it clear that for now, her focus remains on her father’s case.

While Malacañan Palace has suggested that she return to perform her duties, she maintains that she will only go back to the Philippines once everything is in place for Duterte’s legal defense.