“Well, I accepted it as it is” — that was how Vice President Sara Duterte summed up her stance on the case before the International Criminal Court.

In an interview in The Hague, Duterte said she foresees that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not let go of her father's case. The elder Duterte is facing allegations of crimes against humanity over killings tied to his anti-drug campaign, spanning his time as Davao City mayor and later during his presidency.

The Duterte camp had consistently challenged the ICC’s authority after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, which came at the height of the tribunal’s preliminary examination into alleged abuses linked to the government’s war on drugs.

Despite the exit, the ICC has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a state party — the peak years of the anti-drug campaign that drew international scrutiny over thousands of deaths in police operations and vigilante-style killings.

Duterte acknowledged that, from their assessment, the court is unlikely to back down.

“We don’t see any way that the ICC will let go of the case of President Duterte since isa na lang ito sa dalawa na ICC cases,” she said.

Duterte said the family’s legal strategy is now focused on that reality. “This will really go to trial… the best way to move forward is to prepare for trial,” she said.

When asked about her father, the Vice President said he looks healthy, but she raised the idea of him undergoing therapy while he remains in detention.

“Let's see tomorrow baka makumbinse natin siya na magpa-physiotherapy. In lieu of his supposed dapat everyday exercise," she said.

On April 23, the ICC confirmed the charges of crimes against humanity against former President Rodrigo Duterte. His legal team has since sought permission from the ICC to appeal the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision affirming the charges.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has formally set up the trial bench that will hear the case, designating Trial Chamber III, composed of Judges Joanna Korner, Keebong Paek, and Nicolas Guillou.

In an order dated 1 May, the Trial Chamber directed concerned parties to submit their comments on Duterte’s continued detention by 8 May, as trial procedures move forward.

The chamber is scheduled to hold a status conference on 27 May regarding the criminal charges against the former leader.