VP Sara calls for vigilance on dad Rodrigo's arrest anniversary

On the first year since the arrest and transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague, Vice President Sara Duterte urged the people to remain vigilant against any attempt to bend the law for political gains.

In a video message, the Vice President said that the arrest of her father a year ago was a reminder that the law should not be used as a weapon for political or personal interests.

She also insisted that what happened on March 11, 2025, was an “extraordinary rendition” or “kidnapping” of the former president.

“Ang anibersaryong ito ay isang panawagan para sa ating lahat na manatiling mapagmatyag. Kailangang manatiling malaya, tapat, at matatag ang ating mga institusyon laban sa anumang pagsubok na baluktutin ang hustisya,” Sara Duterte said.

(This anniversary is a call for all of us to remain vigilant. Our institutions must remain free, honest, and strong against any attempt to twist justice.)

“Ang pagyurak sa karapatan ng isang indibidwal sa pamamagitan ng mga iregular na proseso ay hindi lamang pag-atake sa katarungan; ito ay hamon sa ating pambansang soberanya.”

(Violating an individual's rights through irregular processes is not only an attack on justice; it is a challenge to our national sovereignty.)

According to her, no Filipino should be denied due process and the protection of the Philippine Constitution.

“Ang isang tunay na malayang bansa ay pinapatakbo ng sariling mga institusyon na malaya mula sa anumang panlabas na panghihimasok o dikta,” VP Sara said.

(A country that is truly free is run by its own institutions free from any external interference or dictate.)

“Sama-sama nating itaguyod ang isang Pilipinas kung saan ang batas ay kalasag ng katarungan at ang ating soberanya ay iginagalang ng lahat,” she added.

(Together, let us build a Philippines where the law is the shield of justice and our sovereignty is respected by all.)

Public anger

In a separate interview, Duterte said anger among Filipinos over the arrest and detention of his father remains strong a year after the incident, claiming that many continue to resent his “kidnapping” and transfer to a foreign jurisdiction.

Duterte said the frustration is not limited to residents of Davao City but is shared by Filipinos across the country.

“Oo, hindi lang mga Davaoeño, no, mga Pilipino, galit sa nangyaring pagkidnap kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte,” she told the reporters.

(Yes, not only Davaoeños — Filipinos are angry about what happened, the kidnapping of former president Rodrigo Duterte.)

“It is unthinkable that a government, no matter the political differences with the administration, would send a citizen to a foreign jurisdiction to be detained for crimes against humanity without basis and witnesses," she said.

According to the vice president, the anger among supporters has persisted since the former president’s arrest and will continue until he is returned to the Philippines.

“Galit ang mga tao, isang taon na sila galit. At hindi huhupa yung galit hangga’t hindi mabalik dito sa Pilipino si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.”

(People are angry. They have been angry for a year. And that anger will not subside until former president Rodrigo Duterte is brought back to the Philippines.)

Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities on March 11, 2025, based on a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands for charges of crimes against humanity for alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration's drug war.

These deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths were as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News