VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday lambasted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for allegedly endangering the life of her father, former president Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte because of what she called the “sham” welfare check conducted by the Philippine Embassy in The Hague.
The younger Duterte said she has received “disturbing information from Malacañang that a report about Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) was submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by the Philippine Embassy in The Hague.”
“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,” she said in a statement.
Since last March after her father was arrested and surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity, the Vice President said at least a family member or two visits the former president in detention almost every day “precisely to guarantee his well-being and humane treatment.”
She said the permission given by the ICC to 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.”
“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,” she added.
The Vice President alleged that such welfare checks “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.”
“President Marcos should know that we have several Overseas Filipinos around the world — detained, distressed, abandoned or neglected — who have not had the benefit of a single welfare check from the Philippine government. They need you but you have failed them. We, Filipinos, deserve better,” she said.
In the Senate, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa likewise slammed the administration for conducting the “welfare visit” on the detained Duterte, saying the visit could only cause more illness to the already ailing former Philippine leader.
In a privilege speech, Dela Rosa questioned the visit.
“Welfare, Mr. President? Checked by the very same ones who caused the former Philippine president, quite possibly the most well-loved Philippine president, to suffer in foreign jurisdiction? Bold of them to assume that they are in the position to look into his well-being when in the very first place, securing his well-being should have meant utmost respect for his person,” he said.
“Isn’t it safe to assume that their presence merely reminded president Duterte of the grievous injustice he was made to face on the fateful day in March this year?” he also said.
“Was that a welfare check or an operation to shorten the life of the former president? Whose welfare will it be?,” he added.
He said if the government really wants to show its concern for Duterte, the best thing to do is for his colleagues in the Senate to support his interim release, which is the content of Senate Resolution No. 18 which he had filed.
SRN 18 expresses the sense of the Senate to urge the government to advocate Duterte’s interim release before the ICC.
‘NOTHING IRREGULAR’
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) defended the visit of Philippine Embassy officials to Duterte’s detention facility, saying there was nothing irregular with their conduct.
In a statement, the DFA said: “Officials from the Philippine Embassy in the Hague visited former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the detention center of the International Criminal Court to conduct a welfare check. This is in line with its functions under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and relevant Philippine laws to protect the welfare of all Filipinos.”
It said there was nothing irregular with the visit as it is also done by embassy or consulate officials with regards to Filipinos who are detained abroad.
“This is a duty of all Philippine Foreign Service Posts and is no different from what the DFA does for other Filipino citizens who are in detention abroad,” it said.
Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman has told the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 that his client is not fit to stand trial for the crimes against humanity charges filed against him because of his worsening medical condition.
The Chamber has indefinitely suspended the scheduled September 23 confirmation of charges hearing pending its determination of Duterte’s health condition and his ability to attend the trials. – With Raymond Africa and Ashzel Hachero
