Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City first District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte left the country Wednesday morning, March 12, to assist their father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in The Hague, Netherlands, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is headquartered.
According to reports, Rep. Duterte left first at around 5:45 a.m. onboard a Cathay Pacific flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 believed to be bound to The Hague.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed that Vice President Duterte departed Manila at 7:40 a.m. via Emirates flight no. EK 337 bound for Amsterdam.
“Vice President Sara Z. Duterte departed from Manila this morning, 12 March 2025, at approximately 7:40 AM (Philippine Standard Time), via Emirates flight no. EK 337 bound for Amsterdam,” the OVP said in a statement.
“Further details regarding the Vice President’s trip will be provided as necessary,” Duterte’s office added.
In an interview with reporters on Tuesday night, the Vice President said she was able to talk to her father via a phone call before his chartered plane bound for Netherlands departed from the Villamor Airbase.
Aside from legal matters, Duterte said she advised her father not to accept food and water from anyone.
She shared during the interview that they made arrangements to go to The Hague since she has to speak with her father’s lawyers there.
“Yes, mayroon na pong arrangements kasi kailangan kong kausapin iyong mga abogado doon. Kung saan man siya dalhin pupunta kami, ako,” she said.
Amsterdam, Netherland’s capital, is less than an hour drive to The Hague, where former President Duterte is expected to stand trial before the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ICC-issued warrant of arrest was facilitated by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) with the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, March 11.
The elder Duterte left Manila on 11:03 p.m. and made a stopover in Dubai before proceeding to Netherlands.
Former President Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, expressed disappointment over the turn of events on social media.
She expressed concern for their father and said he left with only one nurse with him.
“Kindly pray for his health everyone,” Veronica said in her Facebook page, where she also posted a sweet message for her father, emphasizing that she will forever walk with pride knowing that she is a Duterte.
Meanwhile, Elvin J. Austria Lacesa, a social entrepreneur, shared in a Facebook post that two International Criminal Court judges argued that the Duterte trial is out of their jurisdiction.
In the jurisdictional decision, the vote was close, three in favor and two against, including the chief judge.
“I posted this to show that even in the ICC, there is division among the judges regarding their jurisdiction over the case of President Duterte post Philippine withdrawal,” Lacesa said.
ICC Chief Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze argued that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the “Philippine Situation,” the case regarding the war on drugs pending before ICC, because the Philippines is “no longer a state party” under the Rome Statue. (Raymund Antonio, Ivy Tejano)
