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Vice President Sara Duterte has blasted the Philippine government for cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the case against her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
Duterte said it was disheartening to learn that the administration was allocating funds to support witnesses against her father instead of using those resources to assist overseas Filipinos caught in the Middle East conflict.
"Well, nakakalungkot dahil unang una, sinasabi nila na walang ebidensya pero mayroon sila ngayong mga witnesses, at kaya naman pala bayaran iyong pagbibiyahe," Duterte told reporters during an ambush interview on Monday while in The Hague.
"Pero nakakalungkot kasi sobrang bagal ng galaw nila para sa ating mga kababayan na naiipit sa kaguluhan sa Iran at sa Israel," she added.
The Vice President said the administration should focus on helping Filipinos affected by the Iran-Israel conflict, rather than targeting political opponents.
“Kaya nakikita natin at nakikita ng taumbayan kung saan ba talaga yung priorities ng administration na ito. Apparently, puro politika lang yung ano — maninira natin sa mga mga mga priorities at hindi yung mga mamamayan,” she said.
Duterte arrived in the Netherlands on July 5 and is expected to return to the Philippines on July 23.
"Kasi July 23 ako aalis. So dito lang kami kasi inaano namin iyong four days a week na kasi iyong bisita. So mina-maximize namin iyong grant ng detention unit na four times a week," she said.
She also confirmed that her father had lost significant weight since his detention.
“Sobrang payat niya na hindi niyo pa siya nakita na ganito ka payat. Siguro nakita ko siyang ganito kapayat, binata pa siya and sa photo. Yung kanyang braso ay kalahati lang ng braso ko, so ganyan siya kapayat,” Duterte said.
“But para sa akin lang, he looks good na payat siya kesa sa yung ano — malaki ang tiyan tapos parang unhealthy tingnan na parang akakatakot para sa kanyang heart. So, I like him this way, medyo slim,” she added.
According to the Vice President, the weight loss was due to her father’s reduced appetite.
“Siguro sa mga pangyayari, and of course, siguro kasi hindi traditional Filipino food yung nakasanayan. Yung mga pagkain Pilipino na nakasanayan niya,” she said.
