MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte returned to Manila Sunday night from the Netherlands after nearly a month of helping her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, arrange his legal team and strategy for his coming trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for crimes against humanity.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP), in a media bulletin, confirmed that Duterte arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday at 9:56 p.m. on Emirates Airlines flight EK 334.
“My work here is done,” she told reporters in The Hague.
She left Manila on March 12, a day after her father was arrested and flown to The Hague to await trial.
Duterte had been taking care of the legal affairs of her father who is detained at the Scheveningen Prison.
During her over three-week stay in the Netherlands, she arranged the hiring of veteran ICC trial lawyer Nicholas Kaufman and facilitated interviews for other aspiring members of her father’s legal team. Kaufman earlier said a “core team” of lawyers for the former president had already been organized.
Duterte had also been visiting her father regularly in prison and meeting with Filipinos who had been holding almost daily gatherings to protest his arrest and call for his return to the Philippines.
The OVP said she would be addressing “pertinent matters in the coming days.”
The elder Duterte is being held at the Scheveningen penitentiary for his crimes against humanity case in the conduct of his so-called war on drugs.
He was arrested upon his return from Hong Kong and boarded a chartered jet 12 hours later for his trip to the Netherlands.
The serving of the warrant for his arrest issued by the ICC was carried out by the Philippine National Police in coordination with the Interpol.
The warrant alleges that, as Davao City mayor and later president, the 80-year-old created, funded and armed death squads responsible for killing suspected drug users and dealers.
He appeared via video link before ICC judges on March 14. His next hearing for the confirmation of charges against him is scheduled for Sept. 25.
Prepare for trial
House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V said the Vice President can prepare for her impeachment trial now that she’s back in the country.
“It’s nice that she is now back and she has to prepare for the trial next month. In terms of her trip, it is a personal trip and we understand her for that. So, welcome back Ma’am,” Ortega said at a news conference.
He said Duterte had not explained the issues raised against her, including her alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds.
“None was explained during the briefings, hearings. There were no proper answers and they appeared evasive on the issues. There is an impeachment and they cannot just ignore it by not answering,” Ortega said. “Until now there is no clear answer and it has not been explained.”
Meanwhile, Center for International Law (CenterLaw) president Joel Butuyan said that with Duterte’s legal team now fully assembled – as claimed by the Vice President – all processes in the run-up to his trial are expected to run smoother.
“This would speed up the filing of challenges and applications, and the prosecution could already make its comment and the pre-trial chamber could give its decision before Sept. 23,” he said in reaction to the Vice President’s announcement.
“Just imagine there are 43 crime incidents, there will be a lot of witnesses so the camp of the former president would have to prepare their counter-witnesses and evidence,” he added.
One question that might be raised by the Duterte camp is the ICC’s jurisdiction over the case of the former president.
If the issue would not be resolved immediately, it could lead to the postponement of the Sept. 23 confirmation of charges hearing.
Butuyan, an ICC-accredited lawyer, also said that the tribunal has not yet appointed any Filipino lawyer for the drug war victims. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Evelyn Macairan