VP Sara to seek access to Duterte, meet lawyers in the Netherlands

Vice President Sara Duterte will seek access to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now in The Hague, Netherlands.

The elder Duterte was arrested in Manila on a warrant by the International Criminal Court and flown to The Hague for trial over alleged “crimes against humanity” stemming from his war on drugs during his presidency.

The plane bringing the former leader to the Netherlands landed at the Rotterdam The Hague airport at 4:54 p.m. (11:54 p.m. Philippine time).

He is expected to be brought to The Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison.

Sara left Manila Wednesday morning on a flight bound for Amsterdam.

In an advisory released by the Office of the Vice President, Sara said she would meet with lawyers and seek access to her father on March 13 once she has settled in The Hague.

She added she would be available for media interviews the following day.

In a statement released late Wednesday, Sara said,  “Maraming salamat din sa lahat ng mga Pilipinong nagpaabot ng mga mensahe, suporta, at panalangin para kay PRRD, sa akin, at sa aming buong pamilya na ngayon ay nahaharap sa matinding pagsubok sa pulitika.” 

She also thanked the Filipinos in Dubai, U.A.E. who helped her and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as they traveled to the Netherlands.

“Lubos ang aking pasasalamat sa mga kababayan nating nagtatrabaho sa Dubai International Airport at sa Al Maktoum International Airport na tumulong sa akin at kay PRRD,” she added.

The elder Duterte arrived in Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport at 8:03 a.m. (PH time) on Wednesday for a layover before arriving at Rotterdam The Hague Airport. 

He was placed under the custody of authorities late Tuesday morning after getting arrested upon arrival in the Philippines from Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Sara also flew to the Netherlands on Wednesday morning via Emirates. Her brother Davao City Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte was also granted travel clearance for a personal trip to Japan and the Netherlands. 

The Duterte patriarch was accompanied by his former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, a nurse and a personal assistant onboard the aircraft.—LDF, GMA Integrated News