MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte accused the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of conspiring with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, arrested and prosecuted over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the controversial war on drugs.

In a speech during the “Free Duterte Now” rally held in The Hague, Netherlands, Duterte said the Marcos government allegedly coordinated with the ICC to pursue charges against the former president despite what she called questionable evidence on extrajudicial killings.

“Ano sabi nila? 30,000 dead. Nagsimula sila sa 12[000]. Umakyat sila sa 15,000. Umakyat sila sa 30,000. Lahat ng mga namatay – DDS. Pero kung hingin mo sa kanila ang listahan, walang listahan ng 30,000. At anong lumabas sa charges nila? 43 counts of murder. Kaduda-duda pa yung ibang sinasabi ng mga biktima dahil hindi masabi, yung totoo na sila ay biktima ng EJK [extrajudicial killings],” the Vice President said.

She claimed that the ICC was aware of the alleged weakness of the case but proceeded anyway with the help of the Philippine government.

“Alam ng ICC na ganyan ang estado ng kaso, pero pinilit pa rin nilang kunin si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Hindi na nila makuha yun eh. Pero ano nangyari? Binigay siya ng administrasyon ni Marcos. Ginamit, nagkuntsaba ang ICC at ang administrasyon ni BBM. Gamitan tayo dito. Kailangan nyo ng kaso. Kailangan namin palayasin yan dito kasi talong-talo na kami sa politika,” she added.

Duterte further alleged that the Marcos administration is using the international tribunal to eliminate her father as a political threat.

“Nagpapagamit ang ICC sa administrasyon ni — administrasyon ni Marcos at si Marcos naman ginagamit niyang ang ICC para malayo, makulong o mawala si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa ating bansa,” she said.

“Kasi kung maalala ninyo, bago siya dinala dito sa The Hague ay si dating pangulong Duterte ang foremost staunch, critic ng administrasyon ni Marcos. At para sa kanila, ayaw nila ng merong opposition o ayaw nila ng merong kumokontra sa kanila,” she added.

The former president was arrested after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued a warrant in connection with his alleged role in the systematic killing of thousands of drug suspects between July 2016 and March 2019. The court said there was “reasonable basis to believe” that crimes against humanity—specifically murder—had been committed under Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

The probe centers on both Duterte’s term as president and his earlier tenure as mayor of Davao City, where similar anti-drug operations reportedly took place. Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019, the ICC maintains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed while the country was still a member.