A member of the House prosecution team said that while he understands Vice President Sara Duterte’s choice to stay in The Hague, Netherlands to tend to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, she must soon return to her duties back in the Philippines.
Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, one of the 11 members that make up the House prosecution team, said caring for the former President, who is currently in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), should not keep Duterte from coming home and attending the impeachment trial, reported RH 12 Milky Rigonan.
Defensor explained that the case brought against Rodrigo Duterte was not simply a personal issue but concerns the many Filipinos who fell victim to the bloody War on Drugs under his leadership. He also said the former President’s case was not merely one of murder or homicide, but rather a case of crimes against humanity.
As incumbent Vice President, Duterte must not neglect her duties, especially her responsibilities and accountability, despite personal matters, Defensor said.
It would be better for the VP to return to the Philippines, he said, pointing out that she has been given the chance to defend herself before a court, an opportunity that was denied the families of thousands of EJK (extra-judicial killings) victims during her father’s term.
