MANILA – In a fiery tirade delivered in The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio accused the Marcos administration of conspiring with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling the move a political maneuver to silence opposition.
Speaking before supporters at the “Free Duterte Now” rally in the Netherlands, Duterte-Carpio claimed the ICC’s prosecution of her father for alleged crimes against humanity was not only based on questionable data but was also carried out with the cooperation of the Philippine government under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Ano sabi nila? 30,000 dead. Nagsimula sila sa 12[000]. Umakyat sila sa 15,000. Umakyat sila sa 30,000. Lahat ng mga namatay – DDS. Pero kung hingin mo sa kanila ang listahan, walang listahan ng 30,000. At anong lumabas sa charges nila? 43 counts of murder. Kaduda-duda pa ‘yung ibang sinasabi ng mga biktima dahil hindi masabi, yung totoo na sila ay biktima ng EJK,” she said.
The Vice President slammed what she described as deliberate cooperation between the Marcos administration and the ICC.
“Alam ng ICC na ganyan ang estado ng kaso, pero pinilit pa rin nilang kunin si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Hindi na nila makuha yun eh. Pero ano nangyari? Binigay siya ng administrasyon ni Marcos. Ginamit, nagkuntsaba ang ICC at ang administrasyon ni BBM. Gamitan tayo dito. Kailangan nyo ng kaso. Kailangan namin palayasin yan dito kasi talong-talo na kami sa politika,” she added.
Duterte-Carpio alleged that her father’s arrest was politically motivated, aimed at ensuring his removal from national discourse.
“Nagpapagamit ang ICC sa administrasyon ni – administrasyon ni Marcos at si Marcos naman ginagamit niyang ang ICC para malayo, makulong o mawala si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa ating bansa,” she said.
“Kasi kung maalala ninyo, bago siya dinala dito sa The Hague ay si dating Pangulong Duterte ang foremost staunch, critic ng administrasyon ni Marcos. At para sa kanila, ayaw nila ng merong opposition o ayaw nila ng merong kumokontra sa kanila,” she added.
The ICC declined to comment on the vice president’s allegations.
“We can’t comment on political statements,” said ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah. “The Court is a judicial institution and any challenges raised before the judges would be decided on by the ICC Judges.”
Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in the Philippines on March 11, 2025 under a warrant issued by the ICC and is currently detained at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague./PN
