Vice President Sara Duterte is very angry right now. She said that the team of President Bongbong Marcos (also called BBM) worked together with a big international court, called the International Criminal Court (ICC), to arrest her father — former President Rodrigo Duterte.
She said this in a speech during a rally in a country far away, the Netherlands. The rally was called “Free Duterte Now”, and it happened in a city there called The Hague, where the ICC is located.
What’s the Fight All About?
The ICC believes former President Duterte broke human rights laws because of his “war on drugs” — a campaign where thousands of people were killed during police operations to stop drugs in the Philippines.
Sara Duterte says that the numbers people talk about — like 30,000 people killed — are not real. She said:
“They started by saying 12,000 people died, then it became 15,000, then 30,000. But if you ask for a list of names, there is no list. And the ICC is only charging him with 43 murders, not 30,000.”
She also said some people who said they were victims didn’t really tell the full truth, so it’s hard to believe all the stories.
Sara Blames Marcos Administration
Sara thinks the ICC should not have arrested her dad because the case isn’t strong. But she says that the Marcos administration helped make the arrest happen anyway. She said:
“The ICC couldn’t take my father on their own, but the Marcos government helped them. They teamed up. Marcos needed to get rid of my dad because he was a strong critic of the current president.”
In other words, she believes President Marcos used the ICC to silence her father because Duterte was speaking out and opposing him.
Why Is Duterte in Jail?
Former President Duterte was arrested in the Philippines on March 11 by local police. They followed a warrant from the ICC. Now, he is being held inside a jail in The Hague called Scheveningen Prison.
Sara says this is wrong. She said:
“There’s someone in that prison who’s there because of rumors. My dad is in jail not because he’s a criminal, but because he did his job to protect our country.”
What the ICC Said
A spokesperson for the ICC, Fadi El Abdallah, didn’t say much. He said:
“We cannot comment on political statements. The ICC is a court. Only the judges can decide what happens.”
That means they don’t want to join in the drama. They’ll let the judges look at the facts and decide fairly.
Sara Tells ICC: Stay Out of Our Business
Vice President Sara said the ICC should not interfere in how the Philippines is run. She believes:
“They have their own agenda and are just trying to look important because they receive money from other countries. But they should leave us alone. The people of the Philippines should be the ones to decide what happens in our country.”
She ended her speech by demanding the ICC to release her father and let him return home.
“We are here to tell the ICC: Let him go. Stop meddling. This is our country, and only Filipinos should decide what’s best for us.”
Sara’s Words About Marcos
Sara also said something strong about President Marcos Jr. She said:
“He’s pretending to be kind and quiet. But he’s the president — everything still comes from him. He wants people to think he’s not like his father, the dictator. He wants to look soft, but I don’t believe that.”
Sara Says Marcos Has No Achievements
Finally, Sara added that she doesn’t see any big accomplishments or successful projects under the Marcos presidency.
