Vice President Sara Duterte believes there is no reason for the families of alleged victims of extrajudicial killings to be concerned over the potential interim release of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

In a virtual presser in the Hague in the Netherlands Thursday, March 20, the younger Duterte claimed that her father is not capable of meddling with witnesses being a former prosecutor, calling the families' fears as "unfounded". 

"Their fears are unfounded and hindi ganyan ang tatay ko. Kung anuman ang kailangan niyang sagutin, sasagutin niya yan. pero hindi siya magtatamper ng evidence [tapos] unang una wala naman talagang ebidensya hindi ko alam paano umabot ito sa isang kaso," the vice president said.  

Lawyers of drug war victims earlier said that the former president should not be granted interim release by the ICC, noting that they will file the necessary motion to oppose such petition "in a timely and proper manner." 

"Interim release pending trial is a right of the accused... [But] victims believe he is a flight risk – he is running for mayor of Davao City – and a threat to the safety of witnesses and evidence," said National Union of Peoples' Lawyers' (NUPL) Neri Colmenares and ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti.

Duterte arrest constitutes 'extraordinary rendition,' says VP Sara 

She accused the families of victims "in collusion" with various forces.

"Sinasabi lang nila siguro 'yan para, I don't know, 'wag pabalikin ang pangulo sa ating bansa. Bakit ayaw nila pabalikin? Well meron silang... they're in collusion with individuals both in the government and the private sector, they're in collusion with organizations who are against the former president because of his policies nung siya ay pangulo," she stated. 

'ZERO OPTIMISM'

For now, the vice president clarified that she has no information whether his father will apply for an interim release. 

"I've not heard the statements of prosecutors regarding interim release. So, hindi ko alam on how it would sway kung meron man siyang request or application for interim release," she said.

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The younger Duterte added that the chances of granting an interim release for the former president cannot be determine as of the moment.

"Ang optimism level ko ngayon ay zero but only because hindi ko naririnig kung ano ang sasabihin ng prosecutors at ng judges," she added.