VICE President Sara Duterte said they can no longer disclose details about their visits to former President Rodrigo Duterte, except that he is alive.
“So, from now on, basal na ikuwento kung ano yung mga nangyari sa look at ano yung mga pinag-usapan sa loob (So, from now on, it's forbidden to talk about what happened inside and what was discussed inside),” Sara told reporters Monday, September 1, 2025, in The Hague, Netherlands.
She said that the detention unit reminded them of strict conditions, which include not sharing any updates from inside the facility.
With the International Criminal Court (ICC) set to confirm charges against Duterte on September 23, Sara said the family is still deciding who will attend, though it will likely be family members.
Earlier, Duterte’s children—Paolo, Sara, Sebastian, and Veronica—visited him together for the first time. Sara shared that their father was happy to see them and even joked about their noisy conversations.
“It was somehow loud since there were four of us. At one point, Baste [Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte] was saying that he would not speak anymore since no one was listening. So, maybe he (Rodrigo) missed that kind of discussion where everyone was speaking all at once and we are all happy that all four of us visited him,” Sara said.
The ICC prosecutor applied for a warrant of arrest against former President Rodrigo Duterte on February 10, 2025. He was arrested by authorities and surrendered to the ICC on March 12.
Two days later, on March 14, Duterte made his first court appearance via video link, as authorized by the ICC.
He is now detained in The Hague, Netherlands, facing charges of crimes against humanity of murder allegedly committed in the Philippines between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. RGP