Vice President Sara Duterte urged the supporters of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to organize and conduct a “picnic” instead of a rally in celebration of his 80th birthday in The Hague, where they would have to seek permission from the Dutch authorities.
During a meeting with the executive committee of the organizers of the gathering that she attended, she thanked them for their effort in holding the rally last Sunday, March 23, to show support for the former chief executive.
She, however, discouraged them from holding another rally or protest.
“Ang suggestion ko sa kanila maybe mag-kanya-kanya tayo na lang ng picnic kung gusto nyo ng ganun at walang program,” she said on Monday, March 24, during an interview in The Hague (Netherlands time), where she has been staying since her father’s arrest to help him form his legal team.
“It’s just a birthday picnic and then you can gather… mag table-hopping na lang siguro ‘yung mga tao. Pagalingan at pasarapan ng pagkain,” she added.
The Vice President said she’ll be “free that day [March 28] whatever that you want to do” because she’s relinquishing her visiting hours to her sister, Veronica (Kitty), and to her father’s partner, Honeylet.
Their father, she added, is only allowed two visits per day — one from his lawyer and one from family members.
“Dahil limited lang ‘yung time ni Cielito (Honeylet) na maka-stay dito dahil merong siyang mga negosyo na kailangan asikasuhin, hindi nya pwedeng pabayaan ang hanapbuhay nya. At si Veronica naman ay nag-aaral so kailangan din niyang umuwi. Hindi sya pwedeng magtagal ng absent,” she explained.
The family decided to give all the family visit schedule to Avanceña and Veronica while they are there because they have limited time to visit compared to her, the official shared.
“Okay lang wala kaming problemang magkakapatid. Yung nanay namin ang merong problema,” she said, eliciting laughter from Duterte supporters surrounding her.
Her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, on the other hand, will be arriving on March 28 or 29 but it is not clear yet if she has already applied for an ICC permit to visit her ex-husband. (Raymund Antonio)
