MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday publicly criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was found unconscious while in detention in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a strongly worded statement, the Vice President alleged that the former president required immediate medical tests after the incident, suggesting that the episode reflects a failure in the medical care provided to him under ICC custody.
“The conditions of his detention are inhumane and troubling,” Duterte said, as she called for her father’s release on humanitarian grounds.
She further asserted that the welfare checks conducted on behalf of Philippine authorities were “insufficient and abusive,” expressing concern over what she described as neglect of her father’s health and rights.
The former president is facing charges at the ICC in connection with his administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign, which drew international condemnation over alleged human rights violations. The Duterte family has repeatedly criticized the court’s proceedings and treatment of the former leader.
As of Sunday, the ICC has not issued a public response to the Vice President’s claims.
Rodrigo Duterte’s continued detention and the allegations surrounding his health are expected to further inflame debate over the ICC’s jurisdiction and the Philippines’ past cooperation with the tribunal, which the country officially withdrew from in 2019.
The Vice President’s appeal adds political weight to the Duterte family’s pushback against the international court, while also raising new questions about the former president’s condition and the transparency of the ICC’s detention procedures.
