Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Manila on Sunday night following a stay of more than three weeks in The Netherlands, where she had traveled in connection with the legal troubles of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Various reports claimed her flight landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport shortly before 10 p.m., marking her return to the country since accompanying her father overseas after his arrest on March 11.
The elder Duterte was flown to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity over thousands of killings linked to his brutal anti-drug campaign while he was president.
Sara left for The Netherlands on March 13, reportedly to help organize her father’s legal defense.
During her stay, she worked with lawyers assembling the team that would represent the former president before the ICC, which has been pursuing its case despite objections from the Philippine government.
She returns at a time when she is dealing with her own legal issues. The House of Representatives decided to impeach her in February after she was charged for allegedly misusing money while serving as vice president and education secretary at the same time.
Examination of the use of intelligence funding was sparked by lawmakers who pointed to dubious payments and a lack of openness involving hundreds of millions of pesos.
The impeachment complaint also included allegations of betrayal of public trust, citing her supposed political partisanship and alleged interference in matters beyond her constitutional mandate.
The Vice President has yet to make a public statement upon her arrival, but she is expected to face mounting pressure to address both her impeachment and the situation surrounding her father’s trial at The Hague.
