VP Sara, Ex-Pres. Duterte discuss politics, flood control mess in phone call

Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday she and her father, detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, recently talked over the phone and discussed politics and his love life and said that the former chief executive is "okay."

“Tumawag siya last Friday. He’s okay,” the Vice President said after House appropriations panel deliberations on her office’s proposed P889 million budget for 2026.

(He called last Friday.)

“Nag-usap kami [ni former President Duterte] about politics, nag-usap kami about flood control, nag-usap kami about love life niya,” Duterte added.

(We talked about politics, we talked about flood control, we talked about his love life.)

The Vice President's statement comes days after the elder Duterte’s camp told the International Criminal Court  (ICC) that the former leader is not fit to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity since he cannot recognize family and friends anymore.

Last September 11, former President Duterte’s counsel Nicholas Kaufman told the ICC that his client is "unable to recall events, places, timing, or even members of his close family." Kaufman said that because of this, all legal proceedings against the former Philippine leader should be suspended "indefinitely."

According to the public redacted version of the “Defence Request for an Indefinite Adjournment" released by the ICC on September 11, Kaufman said the 80-year-old Duterte lacked the capacity to apply the cognitive skills essential for the proper conduct of his defense.

"In fact, he is not even able to process the reasons for his detention," Kaufman said.

Competency

Asked on Kaufman’s submission before the ICC that former President Duterte is already not fit to stand trial due to lack of cognitive function, the Vice President said she is not competent to answer for court submissions made by Kaufman.

“May mangyayaring hearing sa competency, so hintayin na lang natin iyong mga experts…sa ICC, prosecution at depensa. I am sure maglalabasan iyong mga experts,” she said. 

(There’s an upcoming hearing on competency, so let us wait for the experts there in the ICC, the prosecution, and the defense panels. I am sure the experts will be heard.)

“Hindi ako expert sa kung ano ang kapasidad ng isang witness. Antayin na lang natin yung hearing sa competency kung meron man. I am sure masasabi ng mga experts kung anong nakikita nila,” the Vice President, a lawyer like her father, added. 

(I am not an expert in determining the capacity of a witness. Let us just wait for the competency hearing, if ever there is one. I am sure the experts will weigh in on it.)

The ICC has postponed the hearing on the confirmation charges against Duterte scheduled on September 23, citing the defense's statement that he was “not fit to stand trial.”

Duterte has been in detention since his March 11 arrest based on an ICC warrant over alleged crimes against humanity due to thousands of drug war killings during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. —VAL, GMA Integrated News