President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Screenshot from RTVM/LIVE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� 鈥淕lad I could help.鈥�
This was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.鈥檚 short but sweet response to Vice President Sara Duterte, who thanked him for allowing her and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to mend their relationship amid the controversies surrounding their family over the bloody war on drugs.
At a briefing in Malaca帽ang on Thursday, President Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked to comment on Vice President Duterte鈥檚 remarks.
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The vice president, in a chance interview on Wednesday in The Hague, Netherlands, said: 鈥淭his really is ironic, but I have to thank Bongbong Marcos because there was forgiveness between me and [former President Rodrigo Duterte] for all that has happened in our lives.鈥�
鈥淎nd we have a relationship now 鈥� a father-daughter relationship,鈥� she continued.
Castro said she relayed the vice president鈥檚 message of gratitude to Marcos, who responded that he was happy to have helped in reconciling the former president and his daughter.
鈥楤ecause of EJK鈥�
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But Castro said the credit went not only to Marcos but also to the elder Duterte鈥檚 case on crimes against humanity, which he was accused of committing during his administration鈥檚 drug war.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better if VP Sara thanked her father, the former President Duterte himself. If she had a chance to spend time with her father, that鈥檚 because of the EJK [extra judicial killing] cases,鈥� she said in Filipino.
鈥淚f the action against war on drugs didn鈥檛 happen and if there was no complainant, they won鈥檛 have the chance to get to The Hague.鈥�
The former president was arrested in Manila on March 11. He was flown on the same day to the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague in the Netherlands, where he is being held pending trial.
Pretrial hearing
He had his pretrial hearing on March 14, while the ICC set his confirmation of charges hearing for Sept. 23.
In Wednesday鈥檚 interview, Vice President Duterte said the time she spent visiting her father inside the ICC detention center was 鈥渙ne of the longest meetings鈥� she ever had together.
She even recalled that the former president was always busy when she was growing up.
鈥淣ow, I have this every day with him, talking about life, talking about family, and for that, I feel that I am blessed, because at this point, he is already 80. He is already retired,鈥� the vice president said.
鈥淲e were given this time to talk as father and daughter. Sad that it has to happen inside the ICC. But yes, thank you to him,鈥� she added, referring to Marcos.