Veronica “Kitty” Duterte admitted that her family did not watch the four-day confirmation of charges hearing of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, before the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week, saying the proceedings were too emotionally difficult for them.
“Actually, no. I'll be honest, hindi namin kayang manood. I think it's the same for the four of us and for my mother. We don’t really watch the [hearing] mismo because hindi namin kaya, honestly. It’s hard for us," Kitty said in an interview with vlogger Alvin Sarzate, also known as “Alvin & Tourism,” in The Hague on March 2.
”But of course, we do keep in touch with the legal team, just to see progress,” she added.
Duterte is currently detained at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, the Netherlands, over alleged ”crimes against humanity” in connection with his administration’s anti-drug campaign, ”war on drugs.”
FPRRD's current health condition
When asked about her visit, she acknowledged that seeing her detained father for the first time was the most difficult, describing the initial visit as always the hardest for her and their family.
“Like I always say, the first visit is always the hardest,” Kitty said.
The youngest Duterte also shared her observations about her father’s condition following her recent visit to The Hague, Netherlands.
“He was okay, but at first I noticed he had drier lips and skin than usual. That’s why I imposed a rule today, kada iinom siya ng coke [softdrinks], dapat may few sips of water. And then eventually, after he finished about, say, three cups of water, nag-okay naman,” she said.
“Natakot kasi ako kasi medyo mapula ‘yung mata niya. So sabi ko, baka dry. He just needs hydration,” she added.
She also described her father as unchanged despite his situation, noting that he has rarely referred to himself as a politician.
“He's the same. Always the same. He calls himself [a] public servant instead of [a] politician or whatever he is,” she said.
Duterte did not attend the hearing on his detention scheduled on February 27, after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I granted his request to waive his presence, citing that he is “old, tired and frail.” Despite this, the judges found him “fit” to take part in the proceedings.
As of this moment, according to the ICC, the chamber has 60 days to formally announce its decision based on the series of confirmation of charges hearings.
