FACT CHECK: VP Sara did not say detained father to return home to PH ‘next week’

In a statement on July 28, Vice President Sara Duterte herself denied making the statement, saying she does not know where the false claim originated Claim: Vice President Sara Duterte said her father, detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, is set to be released and will be back in the Philippines next week. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: The video, posted on July 28, has already received 11,000 views, 42 shares, and 20 comments as of writing. It shows the Vice President speaking in front of a crowd in London. In the video, Duterte says, “Makikita ko po siya sa susunod na linggo, mahal nating lahat at inaantay nating lahat ang kanyang paglabas at pag-uwi sa Pilipinas.” (I will see him next week. We all love him and we are all awaiting his release and return to the Philippines.) Text overlaid on the video reads, “President Duterte makalabas na at makauwi na sa Pilipinas. Maraming salamat US President Donald Trump.” (President Duterte will soon be released and will return home to the Philippines. Many thanks to US President Donald Trump). The post also shows a news report about the US campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC), seemingly to support the claim that Duterte is set to be released. The facts: Duterte remains detained at the ICC facility in The Hague, Netherlands, with no announcement about his supposed release. The Vice President’s speech in London was taken out of context. In her speech on July 25, the Vice President simply said that she will meet her father in detention next week: “Ang susunod na pagpapasalamat, makikita ko po siya sa susunod na linggo. Mahal nating lahat at inaantay natin lahat ang kanyang paglabas at pag-uwi sa Pilipinas.” (For the next expression of gratitude, I will see him next week. We all love him and we are all awaiting his release and return to the Philippines.) In a statement on July 28, the Vice President herself denied saying that her father would be released “next week.” “Wala akong sinabi doon sa speech ko na lalabas na si PRRD next week. Hindi ko alam kung saan nagsimula ‘yung ganoon pero definitely wala doon sa transcript na nagsabi ako na lalabas na si PRRD sa ICC or lalabas na si PRRD next week,” she said. (I did not say in my speech that [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] would appear next week. I don’t know where that idea originated, but the transcript definitely does not show me saying that PRRD would be released from the ICC or that he would be released next week.) She further clarified that the ICC website only shows the schedule of the trial proper and does not indicate any announcements of her father’s release. Dismantling ICC: The July 14 news report from TV5, shown in the misleading video, did not say that Duterte will be released following the US campaign to dismantle the ICC. It only shows reporter Jiggy Manicad saying, “Naglunsad ng kampanya si US President Donald Trump para buwagin ang International Criminal Court o ICC. Makakaapekto kaya ito sa kaso ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte?” (US President Donald Trump has launched a campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court or ICC. Will this affect the case of former president Rodrigo Duterte?) The US campaign aims to disable what it calls the ICC’s alleged threat to American sovereignty following the international court’s issuance of arrest warrants against US allies. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and is currently facing three counts of crimes against humanity due to his alleged involvement in the killings under his war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad. His trial is set to begin on November 30, 2026. Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked similar false claims about Duterte: FACT CHECK: Duterte not set to be released amid US push to dismantle ICC FACT CHECK: No Trump plan to secure Duterte’s release from ICC FACT CHECK: Photos of Duterte at airport are fake, AI-generated FACT CHECK: Photos of Duterte being assisted in ICC courtroom are AI-generated – Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading