Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Amsterdam, Netherlands where she is set to attend a series of meetings with her lawyers while awaiting the scheduled visiting hours for former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) that the VP landed at approximately 9:27 p.m. (Central Europe time) on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, or around 4:30 a.m. on March 13, Thursday, Philippine time.
“Upon her arrival, VP Duterte was met with assistance from the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Dutch Royal Military Constabulary,” the OVP said.
“The Vice President is scheduled to attend a series of meetings today, 13 March 2025, while waiting for the time to visit her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” it added.
Earlier, VP Duterte denounced her father’s arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is holding him suspect for crimes against humanity. She described this development as an “insult” to Filipinos.
The Vice President described the arrest as “state kidnapping” and warned that it would have repercussions on the 2028 presidential elections. The Philippine government denied this, explaining that it only fulfilled its commitments with the Interpol, which executed the arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor reaffirmed that this development marks a crucial step in the pursuit of accountability for alleged crimes committed under the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs” campaign.
The ICC stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte bears criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of murder.”
“The Office is now commencing preparations towards the initial appearance and subsequent judicial proceedings before the Court,” the ICC said in a statement.
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor thanked the victims, survivors, witnesses and activists from the Philippines, who stepped forward and cooperated with their investigation.
“Their strength, courage, and perseverance make these significant developments possible. Those who wish to further cooperate or who have relevant information are encouraged to do so via the Office’s Witness Appeal portal,” the ICC said.
Editor’s Note: A correction was made in the third paragraph from ‘Dutch National Police Corps’ to ‘Dutch Royal Military Constabulary.’