Sara marks birthday with visit to detained father in The Hague

Vice President Sara Duterte and her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, visited former President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in the Netherlands.

The Vice President said the visit lasted only an hour because they arrived 30 minutes late.

“Na-late kami kanina, so isang oras na lang ‘yung nagawa namin sa pagbisita. Pagdating namin ay nag-aantay na siya. Masaya siya nang makita kami dahil alam niya na nandoon kami to celebrate pre-birthday with him with my mother,” said Duterte, who is marking her 47th birthday today, 31 May.

She said she brought her father a Coke Zero, as she usually does, but he didn’t drink it. “Sabi niya ay dalhin na lang daw sa kwarto ‘yung Coke Zero, pero isa lang ang pinabili niya.”

During the visit, she updated the former president on the results of the recent local and national elections, including the wins of several allied senatorial candidates.

“Na-share ko na noon sa telephone call, pero isinare ko din ulit sa kanya na nanalo ‘yung tatlong — ah, dalawang PDP-Laban na senator candidates, tapos ‘yung isang guest candidate, si Marcoleta, plus dalawang guest candidates from Alyansa, si Senator Camille Villar at Senator Imee Marcos,” she said.

Vice President Duterte also informed her father that Senator Imee Marcos was with her in the Netherlands but was not allowed by the ICC to visit him.

“Binanggit ko sa kanya na nandito si Senator Imee Marcos pero hindi siya pinayagan ng ICC na makabisita at makausap si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Nabanggit ko rin ulit na nagsumite si Senator Imee ng findings ng kanyang Senate committee hearings sa Ombudsman,” she said.

The former president expressed his gratitude to Senator Marcos and hoped to speak with her in the future.

“Sabi niya gusto nga daw niya sanang makausap si Senator Imee kaso hindi daw siya pinayagan, pero sabi niya, there will be another time for that,” she said.

The Vice President clarified that Senator Marcos has no formal role in her father’s ongoing ICC case.