Vice President Sara Duterte said she deliberately chose not to inform her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, about the ongoing impeachment efforts against her.

Speaking in an interview, Duterte said she saw no value in burdening the 81-year-old former leader with what she described as “bad news,” especially given his current condition.

“Hindi ko binanggit sa kanya ang impeachment at hindi ko binanggit sa kanya ang mga nangyari sa House of Representatives. Sa tingin ko, hindi na niya kailangan malaman ang mga ganyan na klase na bad news,” she said..

The vice president said informing him could cause unnecessary stress, noting that he might “overthink” the situation while alone in detention.

“Hindi siya karapat-dapat para sa isang 81-year-old,” she added, stressing that her father should instead focus on positive thoughts.

Duterte also raised concerns about his health, saying there is a possibility he could deteriorate while in custody. 

“Nag-iisip tayo na baka nga dyan siya bawian ng buhay sa loob,” she said, referring to his place of detention.

In the same interview, she shared that her recent conversation with her father was largely centered on politics.

“He's okay, very chatty today, mostly about politics. At least, siguro mga 95% of the conversation was about politics,” she said.

The vice president is currently in The Hague for a visit with the former president, who remains under detention at the International Criminal Court.