INQToday: VP Sara Duterte departs for The Hague to join her father
Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:
Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday departed Manila to join her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was sent to The Hague in the Netherlands to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) on his alleged crimes against humanity.
According to the Office of the Vice President (OVP), in an advisory, Duterte left the Philippines at around 7:40 a.m. on Wednesday via Emirates flight no. EK 337 bound for Amsterdam, Netherlands.
A day after former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, Senate President Chiz Escudero urged fellow lawmakers to avoid using the issue to “fan the flames of partisanship” for their midterm election campaigns.
In a statement on Wednesday, Escudero said the arrest of Duterte on charges of alleged crimes against humanity is a serious issue that should not be used for anyone’s political gain.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has brushed off claims that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest was merely political persecution, stressing the government only complied with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
The former president is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s bloody drug war.
PNP on ‘heightened alert’ after Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest
The Philippine National Police (PNP) directed its regional units and national support units to be on “heightened alert” starting Tuesday evening following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“This pertains to the current nationwide peace and order situation where possible civil disturbance, rallies, and mass actions may arise following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” reads the PNP memorandum issued by the Directorate for Operations.
