Vice President Sara Duterte launched a sharp attack against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, calling them “traitors” during a gathering of Duterte supporters outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
Speaking through a Facebook Live broadcast, Duterte accused the ICC process of being influenced by political forces in the Philippines, claiming the court had become a “puppet” of Marcos and Trillanes. She also questioned whether justice could still be expected in the case involving former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing proceedings linked to the previous administration’s drug war.
Duterte argued that the issue was no longer only about the ICC, but about whether foreign legal action was being used with the help of local political actors. She claimed that the case had been shaped by politics, money, and betrayal, asking where justice could be found for the Philippines, the Filipino people, and her father.
Her remarks are expected to further intensify the already deep political divide surrounding the ICC case. For Duterte’s supporters, the statement frames the proceedings as a fight against foreign interference and local betrayal. For critics, it adds another explosive layer to a case already watched closely at home and abroad.
As the ICC proceedings continue, the Vice President’s message was unmistakable: she is not treating the case as a purely legal battle. She is casting it as a national and political fight — one where she believes the Duterte camp is being targeted not only by international prosecutors, but by powerful figures inside the country.