MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte denied claims circulating on social media quoting her that former president Rodrigo Duterte would be released from the International Criminal Court (ICC) next week.
Speaking to Filipino supporters at The Hague on Monday (Central European Summer Time), Duterte said the claim stemmed from her speech during a rally in London, but maintained that neither her remarks nor the transcript stated that the former president would be released the following week.
“I did not say in my speech that former president Duterte would be released next week. I don’t know where that came from, but it is definitely not in the transcript that I said former president Duterte would be released from the ICC or that he would be released next week,” Duterte said.
She said the ICC’s publicly available case calendar only showed the schedule for the trial proper, adding that there is no scheduled hearing on the former president’s release.
Duterte also gave an update on her father’s condition, saying he was in good spirits during her latest visit and had been receiving messages of support from Filipinos waiting outside the detention facility.
She said the former president asked supporters not to inconvenience themselves or spend money traveling to The Hague, but told them they should instead follow what was in their hearts.
The vice president added that the 81-year-old former president has been comfortable with the Netherlands’ summer weather because he preferred warmer temperatures, although the family remained concerned about the colder autumn and winter months.
