Duterte Presses Sara on ICC Defense Plans; Victim's Lawyers Gear Up to Strike Back

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (March 23, 2025): Former President Rodrigo Duterte

discussed timelines and legal strategy with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte,

during their most recent conversation last week.

Vice President Duterte revealed this in a brief interview with the media following her speech

to supporters at Malieveld Park in The Hague on Sunday, March 23. She also shared that

her father is doing well at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center.

“He asked about timelines and legal strategy, as well as small personal requests like his

clothes and Diet Coke,” she said. During her speech, she humorously shared that her father

jokingly asked the detention facility staff for two Coke Zero cases, eliciting laughter from the

crowd. “Tumigil na siya sa kakahingi ng Pinoy na ulam dahil parang hindi yata kaya noong

nagluluto sa loob ang Pinoy na ulam (He has stopped asking for Filipino food because it

seems the cook inside cannot prepare Filipino dishes),” she added, noting that her father is

now content with how the rice is prepared in the facility. She also sent a PDF file of Filipino

recipes to help the cook learn.

When asked about the legal strategy, she deferred to the legal team, stating, “Unfortunately,

I cannot talk about the case. Only Atty. Nicholas Kaufman can discuss what he and his

team plan to do.”

The Vice President added that her father remains confident in the legal arguments,

asserting that “what was done to him was wrong” and that “there is no case to begin with.”

When asked if her father is contesting all charges, she replied, “That is what I understand

from former President Duterte. But that is another matter regarding the legal strategy.”

Addressing a large crowd of Filipinos from across Europe—including Germany, Belgium,

Norway, the UK, Ireland, and Luxembourg—she began her speech with personal anecdotes

about her relationship with her father, his emphasis on the importance of education, and her

journey to becoming a lawyer. She also expressed gratitude to their supporters, the

organizers, the Dutch foreign affairs ministry, and the municipality of The Hague. However,

she also touched on corruption and irregularities in the Philippines during her speech.

Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday, March 23, in another part of The Hague, lawyers

representing victims of extrajudicial killings in the crimes against humanity cases filed

against Duterte at the ICC stated that they are prepared for the discovery and disclosure

process.

In a press conference, Kristina Conti, one of the victims’ lawyers, said that the ICC’s pre-

trial chamber has already set deadlines for the prosecution to provide the defense with

certain information on the evidence. “In turn, Duterte is also being asked for certain

information that would be important for the prosecution as well. By April 11, 2025, he must

indicate whether he will invoke grounds to exclude criminal responsibility. This means he

has to inform the court if he intends to invoke insanity, incapacity, self-preservation, duress,

alibi, and the like,” she said. Conti emphasized that this is part of the process leading up to

the confirmation of charges on September 23, 2025.

Lean Jimenez of Bayan-Europe said that this is a rare opportunity for victims to achieve

justice, especially in a justice-deprived country such as the Philippines.

Lawyers and human rights groups emphasized that the ICC case is not a battle between

kasamaan (evil) and kadiliman (darkness). Instead, they expressed hope that kabutihan

(goodness) will play a role and prevail.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte was served a warrant of arrest by the ICC on March 11,

2025, on charges of crimes against humanity. He was flown to the Netherlands the same

day, arriving in the late afternoon of March 12. On March 14, he made his initial appearance

via video link from the detention facility before the Court’s pre-trial chamber. The

confirmation of charges hearing is scheduled from September 23-26, 2025.

An ICC release stated:

“The purpose of the confirmation of charges hearing is for the judges to determine whether

there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the suspects

committed each of the crimes charged. Only if the charges are confirmed, in full or in part,

will the case be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of

the proceedings: the trial.”

Photo Source: Jofelle Tesorio