Chua: Sara Duterte contradicts anti-ICC stand by not trusting PH courts

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte not having any trust for the Judiciary contradicts her previous stand that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, must be tried in the country instead of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a lawmaker pointed out on Wednesday.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Manila Rep. Joel Chua was asked whether Vice President Duterte’s actions — punching a sheriff enforcing a lawful order when she was still Davao City mayor and then claiming recently that she does not trust the court — already merits disciplinary actions meant for lawyers.

Before addressing the question, Chua said that this statement from the Vice President contradicts the stand of her family — that the older Duterte should be brought back to the Philippines’ jurisdiction.

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READ: Surrendering Duterte to ICC doesn’t mean PH courts don’t work – experts 

“Well, unang-una, hindi ko alam kung bakit niya sasabihin na wala siyang tiwala sa korte dito, samantalang no’ng kinukuha ‘yong kanyang ama, papunta sa, para litisin sa the Hague, eh sinasabi nila na gumagana naman ang korte dito, at kung meron mang dapat maglilitis sa kanyang ama, dapat dito nililitis,” Chua, a member of the prosecution team for Duterte’s impeachment trial, said.

(Well, first of all, I do not know why she would say that she doesn’t trust the court here, while when her father was being brought to the Hague for his trial, they said that the justice system in the Philippines is functioning, and that if her father has to be tried, it should be done here in the country.)

“So ito, makikita mo ‘yong mga conflicting statement na kanyang sinasabi, at bilang abugado, kaming lahat ay officers of the court, so kami dapat ay nagbibigay ng galang sa ating mga kagalang-galang na mahistrado,” he added.

(So you can see the conflicting statements she uttered, and as a lawyer, we are all officers of the court, so we should give respect to the Honorable judges.)

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READ: Sara Duterte’s kill remark vs Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace 

Last Friday, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98 issued an arrest order against Duterte over three counts of grave threats — one for each threat she made in November 2024, against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and his cousin former House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

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On Saturday, Duterte showed up before the Quezon City RTC to post a bail worth P360,000, or P120,000 for each count.

At one point, Duterte appeared to be asking her lawyer for her impeachment trial, Atty. Michael Poa, as to how she will post her bail with several police officers around, saying that she does not feel safe as she might be gunned down like former Senator Ninoy Aquino was shot.

Duterte, a lawyer, said she does not trust the court.

“I do not feel safe, I really do not feel safe. I don’t trust the court, I don’t trust the police,” she told reporters and her lawyers.

READ: Sara Duterte posts bail: ‘I don’t trust the court’ 

Chua said Duterte can be a subject of a disciplinary action — possibly disbarment — if someone goes to the courts and complains about her attitude and demeanor.

“Well, pupwede siguro kung merong magsasampa sa kanya na mga disciplinary action sa kanyang pahayag na mga ganito, at saka very unbecoming para sa isang second-highest official ng ating bansa para magsalita ng ganitong sweeping statement laban sa ating mga kagalang-galang na korte,” he said.

(Well, someone can file a petition to have her subjected to disciplinary actions for such statements, as this is very unbecoming for a second-highest official of our country to make such sweeping statements against our Honorable courts.)

In a separate ambush interview after the briefing, Chua said that Duterte’s conduct deserves attention and consideration, and may be a subject of disbarment cases.

“Kaya dapat tingnan kung ito ay subject for disbarment,” he said. “Kung yung mga ordinaryong abogado nga na-didisbar, e yun pa kayang mga diretsang sinasabi o diretsang nambabastos sa ating mga korte?”

(This should be checked if it is subject for a disbarment case.  If ordinary lawyers are disbarred, how about those who directly state things or disrespect our courts?)

Former president Duterte’s camp has questioned ICC’s jurisdiction several times, claiming that the ex-leader should be released immediately and unconditionally, despite the crime against humanity of mass murder charge against him for implementing a bloody war against illegal drugs.

According to the defense panel, the ICC only had jurisdiction over the Philippines when it was a state party to the Rome Statute, the agreement that created the international tribunal.

Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2018, an order that took effect in 2019.

However, the ICC maintained that it had jurisdiction of the crime against humanity raps against the former president, as the actions being pointed to by relatives of drug war victims happened before Duterte’s withdrawal.

The younger Duterte, meanwhile, is facing three counts of grave threats after the National Bureau of Investigation filed complaints for Duterte’s statements in a November 23, 2024 online press briefing.

As she criticized the House for detaining her chief-of-staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, Duterte went online for a briefing to berate the First Couple and Romualdez. 

Duterte was then asked by a vlogger to take care as she may be in danger.  The Vice President replied by urging people not to worry as she has talked to a person about killing the Marcos couple and Romualdez if she herself gets killed.

“Do not worry about my security because I already spoke to someone. I said, ‘If I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.’ No joke, no joke,” Duterte said in the November 2024 briefing.

The same matter has been the subject of the impeachment complaints against Duterte, which eventually was included in the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate last May 13.

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The threats were included as Article IV, which the House prosecution panel has finished tackling. /mr