If there is an unexpected silver lining to the arrest and detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague, it’s that it has given Vice President Sara Duterte the chance to rebuild her bond with her father.
Amid the turbulence, the two found themselves talking more, mending old wounds, and slowly rekindling their relationship that had been strained.
And, ironically, Vice President Duterte has President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to thank for her renewed relationship with her father who is under detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
“I’m happy as well but this is really ironic. I have to thank Bongbong Marcos because there was forgiveness between me and PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] for all that has happened in our lives,” the VP told media in an interview following her visit to her father on Tuesday.
“And we have a relationship now — a father-daughter relationship — as we cannot discuss legal matters anymore because it is understood that inside only the lawyers can discuss legal matters with the former president,” Sara said.
The VP said this time with her father has been incredibly valuable, as it’s one of the few occasions they’ve had ample time to discuss family matters.
“So we only talk about family. This has been one of the longest meetings I’ve had with the former president,” she said.
She went on to explain how, growing up, her father was always busy. But now, despite the circumstances, they’re able to have daily conversations about life and family.
“Growing up, he was always busy with work, always focused on the country. Now, we have time to talk every day about life, about family,” Sara said.
Despite the looming ICC case, Duterte said she feels “blessed” to have this unexpected time with him.
“For that, I feel blessed. At this point, he’s already 80 and retired, but if he returns as mayor, he’ll probably be busy with work again. So, we’re given this time to talk as father and daughter,” she said.
Duterte said she was waiting for one final document before returning to the Philippines.
“On the legal side, we still need to talk to Nicholas Kaufman. He’s the only one who can discuss what steps they’ll be taking regarding the ICC,” she explained.
“I’m just waiting for one more document, then my work here is done. Once I get that, I can go home,” the Vice President said.