Vice President Sara Duterte did not raise the possibility of changing her father’s defense lawyers during her recent visit to former President Rodrigo Duterte at his ICC cell in The Hague.
“I actually told myself earlier that I would ask him about that, but I forgot. Sorry about that,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll ask former President Duterte tomorrow. I really forgot earlier.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Duterte was responding to questions raised by a supporter amid speculation about possible changes to her father’s legal team following recent developments in the case.
The former president is currently in The Hague, where the ICC recently ruled that he is medically fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings over charges linked to deaths during his administration’s war on drugs.
The ICC chamber has set the confirmation of charges for 23 February, after denying Duterte’s request for an indefinite adjournment. His legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, said the defense plans to appeal the ruling.
Duterte’s defense team has expressed disappointment with the decision, saying they were not given the chance to present their own medical evidence and arguing that the former president was denied due process.
The Vice President was also asked to react to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s remark that the “worst thing” that could happen to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa would be to end up in ICC custody while still a sitting senator.
For Duterte, the idea of “the worst” means something else entirely.
“In my view, the worst thing that can happen to a person is getting sick and dying,” she said. “If you’re not sick, you’re not dead, and you’re still very much alive — whether you’re inside prison or outside — then you’re okay.”
She added that Dela Rosa’s situation does not compare to the suffering of seriously ill patients.
“Those I really feel sorry for are people undergoing chemotherapy who become so weak afterward, those who can’t eat anymore, those with illnesses that have no cure, people in hospice just waiting for the time the Lord will take them,” she said. “They already know what’s coming — they’re just waiting for when. Those are the worst situations a person can face. But if you’re alive, healthy, and not dying, then you’re fine. Just go on.”