VP Sara accuses ICC of ‘abuse of power’ vs. Rodrigo Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday issued a statement on humanitarian concerns over the continued detention of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is being held at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

Duterte said the Philippine government’s admission that a so-called “welfare check” was secretly conducted confirms that the ICC has allowed agents of the government that “abducted” the former president to intrude upon him and exploit his “frail and compromised health.”

“This is nothing less than an abuse of power against a vulnerable individual,” she said.

The Vice President claimed that credible information from hospital sources revealed that the former chief executive had to undergo laboratory tests after being found unconscious on the floor of his room.

“The family was not informed of the ‘accident’ and no explanation was given. These alarming developments raise grave concerns about the capacity of the ICC to guarantee the security and safety of FPRRD [former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte],” she said.

She further pointed out that even the “basic care for the complaint of an ingrown toenail — easily treatable — cannot be done swiftly,” adding that the ICC has persistently ignored the clear need for a 24-hour bedside caregiver.

According to her, the former president’s continued detention under such conditions is not only “unjust but inhumane.”

“It amounts to punishment without having been convicted of any crime,” she said.

The Vice President added that if the ICC remains true to its mandate, it cannot turn a blind eye to the health and wellness of her father.

“To deprive an elderly man — abducted, denied his rights under Philippine law, and subjected to surveillance disguised as ‘welfare checks’ — of basic dignity and proper care is not justice. This is cruelty,” she said.

She stressed that her father is not a flight risk, has never threatened witnesses or complainants, and has “no intent to assume the office of mayor.”

“There is no other reason for his continued detention except to make him suffer for the complaint of disgraced former senator,” she said.

Duterte called on the ICC to “rectify this gross injustice” and ensure that the former president is given proper care and humanitarian consideration.