Vice President Sara Duterte (Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday said she has yet to receive a document indicating that she is one of the respondents in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into her father former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
“Wala akong natanggap na document galing sa ICC,” Duterte said in a chance interview.
(I have not received any document from the ICC.)
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier claimed that ICC investigators are on the verge of issuing an arrest warrant against Duterte’s father as the main accused, and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Vice President Duterte as the secondary and tertiary accused.
But in a statement on Tuesday, the vice president reiterated that she will not cooperate with the ICC in its investigation, as it “undermines the country’s justice system “.
According to Vice President Duterte, this is the first time her name was linked to the issue hounding her father, particularly the alleged “Davao Death Squad” — a vigilante group believed to be behind the spate of killings of suspected drug traffickers and other criminals in the city.
“Subalit, matapos akong manalo bilang vice president, bigla na lang nagkaroon ng testigo laban sa akin at ngayon ay kasama na ako sa mga akusado sa International Criminal Court. Hindi ko kailangan ng death squad para sa mga bagay na kaya kong gawin,” she said in her statement.
(However, after being elected vice president, a witness suddenly emerged against me, and now I am included among the accused in the International Criminal Court. I do not need a death squad for things I am capable of doing.)
She assured the public that she is ready to face any accusation against her, but would only do so before a Filipino court and judge.