Vice President Sara Duterte again called for the immediate release of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands for over a year now.

According to VP Sara, the continued detention of her father is unjust and merely a result of politicking.

The Vice President again stressed that the Rome Statute has no basis for the continued detention of the former President.

She also criticized the ICC's assessment regarding former President Duterte being a flight risk.

VP Sara stressed that her father's continued detention has dragged on for over a year despite the lack of legal basis.

"He should be released and he should be released immediately.... This is not about justice. This is about politics in the Philippines." VP Sara said. 

"They are holding an 81-year-old who cannot make his own bed, who cannot even clean his own room, who has bedsores and who has so many aches and pains because of old age." the Vice President added. 

In her speech, the Vice President accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of allegedly supporting the international tribunal's proceedings.

The Vice President also called President Marcos Jr. and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged "puppets" of the ICC.

Malacañang, for its part, said these accusations by the Vice President have no basis.
"Ang lahat po halos ng sinasabi ng Bise Presidente sa ngayon ay walang basehan, walang saysay, useless at nonsense. Maaaring ito ay kaniyang nasasabi out of frustration dahil ang kaniyang ama ngayon ay nililitis sa ICC." Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro

[Almost everything the Vice President is saying right now has no basis, makes no sense, is useless and nonsense. She may be saying this out of frustration because her father is now being tried at the ICC.]

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