VP Sara renews bid to visit father as ICC trial nears

With her father's trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) set to open on 30 November, Vice President Sara Duterte is seeking approval for another visit to the former president in The Hague next month.

Duterte said she had reapplied to visit her father, Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained at the ICC in the Netherlands since March 2025.

“Nag-apply na rin ako ulit ng pagbisita ngayong December kay dating Pangulong Duterte at sana ay ma-approve,” she said during a meeting with overseas Filipino workers.

The request comes as the ICC prepares to begin proceedings against the 81-year-old former president, who faces three counts of crimes against humanity involving murder and attempted murder allegedly committed between November 2011 and March 2019.

The charges cover alleged killings in Davao City during his tenure as mayor, the deaths of so-called high-value targets during his presidency and killings during anti-drug operations in communities across the country.

Duterte was arrested in Manila on 11 March, 2025, under an ICC warrant and surrendered to the court in The Hague the following day. He has remained in ICC custody since.