Sara Duterte arrives in Amsterdam, seeks to meet with dad at The Hague

Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday shortly before her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was brought to The Hague Penitentiary Institution to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed that Sara Duterte landed in Amsterdam at approximately 9:27 p.m. (Central European Standard Time) or past 2 a.m. in the Philippines.

Upon her arrival, the Vice President was met with assistance from the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the  the Dutch Royal Military Constabulary.

On Thursday, March 13, the Vice President is set to meet with lawyers and seek access to her father, who is currently at The Hague prison awaiting trial by the ICC for alleged "crimes against humanity" in his administration's war on drugs.

“The Vice President is scheduled to attend a series of meetings today, 13 March 2025, while waiting for the time to visit [her] father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” the OVP said in a media advisory.

She is also expected to grant a media interview at The Hague on Friday, March 14.

The vice president flew to the Netherlands on Wednesday morning via Emirates. Her brother Davao City Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte was also granted travel clearance for a personal trip to Japan and the Netherlands.

Rodrigo Duterte was placed under the custody of authorities late Tuesday morning after getting arrested upon arrival in the Philippines from Hong Kong.

The plane carrying him to the Netherlands landed at the Rotterdam The Hague airport at 4:54 p.m. or 11:54 p.m. in Manila on Wednesday.

He was brought to The Hague Penitentiary Institution at 7:34 p.m. (2:34 a.m. Philippine time) aboard a black vehicle. —VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News