Sara reveals frail Duterte, blasts ICC case and House impeachment

Vice President Sara Duterte has offered a personal glimpse into the condition of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, following her recent visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague.

In an interview posted late Monday by Duterte supporters on Facebook, Sara shared that the former president has lost significant weight but remains mentally sharp and in good spirits.

“He’s okay, very good mood today,” Sara said, noting that he told her: “Your arm is twice the size of mine — one of your arms is like two of mine.”

“He’s very thin. You’ve never seen him this thin, maybe only back when he was very young,” she added.

The vice president said Duterte is not experiencing any major health problems and is being held in the regular detention area, not the hospital wing, at the ICC. “So far, he said he’s not feeling anything, so he’s okay on that note,” she said.

Quoting her father, she shared his statement from their conversation: “I did what I had to for my country and I have no regrets about what I did.”

Sara said many supporters are praying for the dismissal of the ICC case based on jurisdiction, and are hoping Duterte may be granted interim release.

“We understand the public’s concern and frustration. There’s no basis for the case, and we hope it gets dismissed,” she said.

Sara slams impeachment

The vice president also criticized her impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives, calling it a move aimed at undermining her credibility through misuse of confidential fund issues.

“Obviously [it's a witch hunt],” she said in Filipino. “Last year during the budget hearing, all their questions were about confidential funds. They assigned someone to ask a few token questions about the OVP budget, but the rest — they were reading a script.”

Sara also alleged that the House illegally obtained documents from the Commission on Audit (COA), citing orders used to retrieve confidential records.

“They even opened a hearing just to give the appearance of legitimacy to their illegal actions,” she said.

She pointed out that the impeachment case filed against her had to be split into four articles: “They couldn’t come up with one solid complaint."

Sara added that the quote “let’s stick to our plan” was said on record by Stella Quimbo during one of the hearings, further proof, she said, of a premeditated effort.

Fabricated evidence, paid witnesses?

When asked about Justice Secretary Boying Remulla’s statement that no sufficient evidence exists in the Philippines to convict Duterte, Sara echoed the sentiment, but went further.

“It’s all fabricated. And we have evidence that some of their so-called proof was obtained through force, intimidation, or harassment. You’ll see that very soon,” she warned.

She also criticized the administration over reports that it is spending taxpayer money to support witnesses for the ICC case.

“It’s sad. They say there’s no evidence, but they’re willing to pay to fly in witnesses,” Sara said. “Yet, they move so slowly to help our fellow Filipinos caught in the conflict in Iran and Israel. It’s clear where this administration’s priorities lie — politics, not the people.”

She also took a jab at Marcos’ recent call to “stop politicking.”

“Maybe he should look in the mirror when he says that,” she said.