Before the walls of a church still bearing the scars of last year's devastating earthquake, Vice President Sara Duterte offered a prayer for the return of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, from detention in The Hague.

Visiting the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer in Bogo City, the vice president said she lit a candle and offered prayers not only for peace in the country and the safety of Filipinos, including overseas workers, but also for her father's homecoming.

"Kasama rin sa ating mga dasal ang pag-uwi ni Dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa ating bayan," Duterte said in a social media post.

The older Duterte remains in the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his administration's bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign. 

He has been detained since March 2025 after being surrendered to the tribunal and has remained in ICC custody after judges rejected his bid for interim release.

Since then, the incumbent vice president has consistently appealed to supporters to include him in their prayers while his case is pending before the international court. 

She has described the family's visits as an important source of support as the former president awaits further proceedings before the international court.

During the church visit, Duterte said she prayed for Bogo City's continued recovery from the powerful earthquake that struck northern Cebu last year.

She noted that the effects of the disaster remain visible at the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer, where structural damage has forced parish officials to continue holding Masses in a temporary building within the church compound while restoration works are ongoing.

The shrine was among several churches and public structures damaged by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that devastated parts of northern Cebu, leaving dozens dead and displacing thousands of residents.