This will really go to trial, and the best way to move forward is to prepare
In the corridors of international justice, a daughter's visit to her detained father in The Hague becomes both a personal act of loyalty and a quiet acknowledgment that history has arrived at an irreversible threshold. Vice President Sara Duterte traveled to the Netherlands in early May to see former President Rodrigo Duterte, confirming he is in good health as the ICC presses forward with charges of crimes against humanity tied to his administration's anti-drug campaign. With jurisdiction confirmed and charges formally established, the family has moved from resistance to preparation — accepting that the trial is no longer a possibility to be contested, but a reality to be navigated.
- The ICC's confirmation of both jurisdiction and charges in late April removed the last procedural shields, placing the Duterte case on an irreversible path toward full trial.
- A quiet contradiction has emerged: Rodrigo Duterte's own legal filings described him as 'old, tired, and frail,' yet his daughter returned from The Hague reporting him healthy and capable — a tension that may carry weight as detention reviews proceed.
- A detention review ordered by ICC Trial Chamber III on May 1 is now underway, raising the possibility of a challenge to the legal grounds keeping the former president in custody.
- A status conference on May 27 will begin setting the trial's timeline, transforming what was once a political controversy into a structured legal reckoning with a fixed horizon.
- Sara Duterte has shifted the family's public posture from defiance to pragmatism, telling Filipino expatriates plainly: 'This will really go to trial, and the best way to move forward is to prepare for trial.'
Vice President Sara Duterte traveled to The Hague in early May to visit her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is being held there as the International Criminal Court advances proceedings against him. Speaking to members of the Filipino community in the Netherlands, she described him as healthy and without apparent ailment — a characterization that stood in contrast to the letter his legal counsel submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber in February, in which he described himself as "old, tired, and frail." She noted she had encouraged him to pursue physiotherapy, a recommendation he declined.
The visit came at a pivotal legal moment. On April 22, the ICC Appeals Chamber confirmed its jurisdiction over the case, and the following day the Pre-Trial Chamber formally confirmed charges of crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign. The case is one of only two the ICC is currently pursuing, lending it unusual visibility on the international stage.
The vice president used her time in The Hague to consult with lawyers and recalibrate the family's approach. She told those gathered that she saw no realistic path by which the court would step back from the case. "This will really go to trial," she said, "and the best way to move forward is to prepare for trial." It was a notable shift in tone — from contestation to preparation.
On May 1, ICC Trial Chamber III ordered a review of whether the legal grounds for Rodrigo Duterte's continued detention remained valid. A status conference scheduled for May 27 is expected to address that review and begin establishing the procedural framework for trial. Amid the legal machinery, Sara Duterte also expressed gratitude to Filipino expatriates who had gathered in support, some of whom had attended a birthday celebration for the former president in March. She was measured in her words: not happy to be back under such circumstances, she said, but glad to see familiar faces. The family's daily prayer, she added, remained the same — that Rodrigo Duterte would one day be able to come home.
Vice President Sara Duterte traveled to The Hague in early May to visit her father, the former president, who is being held there as the International Criminal Court pursues proceedings against him. In an interview with members of the Filipino community in the Netherlands, she offered a direct assessment of his condition: he appears well, she said, healthy, without apparent ailment. The visit came as legal machinery around Rodrigo Duterte's case continued to turn—the ICC Appeals Chamber had confirmed its jurisdiction over him just days earlier, on April 22, and the Pre-Trial Chamber had confirmed the charges against him the following day.
The charges stem from alleged crimes against humanity connected to the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign, one of the most consequential and contested legacies of his presidency. Rodrigo Duterte himself has not appeared in person at ICC proceedings. Instead, through his legal counsel, he has waived certain rights related to attendance at preliminary stages and submitted a letter to the Pre-Trial Chamber in February in which he described himself as "old, tired, and frail." His daughter's account of his current state—robust, capable, without complaint—presented a different picture, though she acknowledged that she had suggested he undergo physiotherapy to maintain his strength. He declined the recommendation.
The vice president's visit also served a practical purpose: to consult with lawyers and prepare for what she and her family now regard as inevitable. When asked about the ICC's decision to maintain jurisdiction, she said she had accepted it. More significantly, she told the assembled Filipinos that she saw no realistic path by which the court would abandon the case. "This will really go to trial," she said, "and the best way to move forward is to prepare for trial." The case is one of only two the ICC is currently pursuing, lending it particular weight and visibility.
On May 1, the ICC Trial Chamber III had ordered a review of whether the legal grounds for Rodrigo Duterte's continued detention remained valid under ICC rules. A status conference was scheduled for May 27, at which the chamber would likely take up the detention review and begin establishing the timeline and procedural framework for the trial itself. The machinery was moving forward, and the family was positioning itself accordingly.
During her time in The Hague, the vice president also acknowledged the presence of Filipino expatriates who had made the journey to support the Duterte family. Some had attended a gathering on March 28 marking the former president's 81st birthday. She expressed gratitude for their loyalty, though she was careful about her language. "I wouldn't say I'm happy to be back because of the situation of President Duterte," she said, "but I'm happy to see all of you again." She added that the family's daily prayer remained unchanged: that Rodrigo Duterte would be able to return home. The trial preparation ahead would determine whether, and when, that might be possible.
Citações Notáveis
He looks well. He looks healthy. He doesn't have any problem.— Vice President Sara Duterte, describing her father's condition
This will really go to trial, and the best way to move forward is to prepare for trial.— Vice President Sara Duterte, on the inevitability of ICC proceedings
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
When she said he's in good health, did she mean that as a direct contradiction to what he told the court?
It reads that way. He wrote to the ICC that he was old, tired, frail—language meant to suggest he couldn't travel or participate. Then his daughter shows up and says he looks well and healthy. It's a strategic move, whether intentional or not.
Why would he claim frailty if he's actually fine?
The letter was submitted during the preliminary phase, when he was trying to avoid appearing in person. It's a common tactic—establish grounds for absence. But now that trial is coming, the family's messaging has shifted. They're showing he's capable, present, ready.
Does that help him legally?
It could. If the court believes he's fit to stand trial, it strengthens the case for releasing him from detention. But it also undercuts any argument that his health makes trial impossible. It's a gamble either way.
What about the Filipino community showing up to support him?
That's about maintaining a political base. The Duterte family still has loyalists, especially abroad. These gatherings—the birthday party, the community meetings—they're reminders that he has people who believe in him, that this isn't just a legal matter but a political one.
And the trial itself—how long might it take?
Nobody knows yet. The May 27 conference will set the timeline. But ICC trials are notoriously slow. This could take years. The family is settling in for a long fight.