Vice President Sara Duterte. Photo: Office of the Vice President

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said she was not surprised to be included among those reportedly next in line in the arrest warrant to be released by the International Criminal Court (ICC) along with other police officials during the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

In an interview in Carcar Cebu on Monday, April 28\, the younger Duterte said the arrest of her father was purely “politically motivated” in view of the coming midterm elections this May and the 2028 presidential elections where she has expressed openness to run for. 

The vice president confirmed that she was  in the list of ICC targets because, as she observed, the tribunal has been keeping tabs of her conversations with the former president during her visit. 

“Yes, sir. Oo. Nasa listahan ako. Marami. Marami kami na nasa listahan ng ICC,” she said. 

“Nalaman ko iyan kasi pagdating ko doon nagtataka ako bakit sa simula pwede pa ako bumisita araw-araw. Hininto nila, pagkatapos, ni-re-record na ang mga pinag-u-usapan namin ni Pangulong Duterte. So, naiintindihan namin na nakikinig sila sa aming usapan,” she said. 

She however was far from the line and that chief implementers of the drug war will come first such as former police chiefs Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Oscar Albayalde and Brig.  Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, a longtime trusted aide of the former president, is also included, according to the vice president. 

“Dahil ang akala nila ang pinag-u-usapan namin ay kung ano ang kaso at ano ang ginagawa natin sa kaso dito sa Pilipinas at mga strategy ng kaso. Hindi lang ako, malayo pa ang pangalan ko doon… Mauna muna sila, bago ako. Thank you.”

Neither the ICC however nor the Philippine government has not made any confirmation of the next targets of the warrants. Dela Rosa and Albayalde have openly criticized the arrest of the former president and defended that the drug war was crucial at that time, saying something should be done because the Philippines was on its way then to becoming a narco state. 

In past interviews, the younger Duterte has always been saying that she was prepared to be the next target of the ICC but also stood firm that she is prepared to face any allegation against her. 

With her own legal battle in the loom, the vice president is set to face an impeachment trial for her alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds. 

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