Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday raised concern regarding a “welfare check” that was supposedly conducted by the Philippine Embassy in The Hague to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, while in detention.

Sara Duterte said that she received such “disturbing information” from Malacañang that a report about her father was submitted to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by the embassy. 

“The officials entered the detention unit under the false pretense of conducting a ‘welfare check’ and interviewed FPRRD. The said officials clearly abused the rule of the detention unit concerning consular visits,” the Vice President said. 

“The permission given by the ICC in allowing the agents of the very government that abducted FPRRD to intrude upon him, without seeking permission from family members who are in the Hague, places his life and safety in imminent danger,” she added. 

Sara Duterte said that since Rodrigo was arrested and brought to The Hague in March this year, there has always been at least a family member or two that visit him almost daily to “guarantee his well-being and humane treatment.”

Thus, she emphasized, her father does not need the Philippine government to visit him and their family will be the ones to take care of him.

“If such sham ‘welfare checks’ are allowed to continue, then the ICC and the Philippine Government must be prepared to answer, fully and directly, for any harm that comes to Former President Duterte —including, should the worst happen, his death in custody as a direct result of these intrusions, the false pretense of conducting a ‘welfare check,’” VP Sara said. 

“These are nothing but orders of President Marcos disguised as consular functions, and we strongly object to such visits. FPRRD does not need you, our family will take care of him,” she continued.

This story will be updated as soon as Malacañang issues a statement.

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

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

The ICC earlier disclosed the criminal charges Rodrigo Duterte is facing before the tribunal involving 49 incidents of murder and attempted murder in his war on drugs as crimes against humanity when he was mayor of Davao City and as president of the Philippines.

(With reports from Giselle Ombay, GMA Integrated News)