Julia Christine Botin

Sara Duterte barred from Villamor Air Base before dad Rodrigo's Hague flight, admits CIDG chief

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17418480544802-Composite (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>CIDG chief Nicolas Torre and Vice President Sara Duterte. Photos by Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — The chief of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group admitted Thursday that he denied Vice President Sara Duterte entry into Villamor Air Base before her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was brought to The Hague this week.  CIDG chief MGen. Nicolas Torre noted that the elder Duterte was already with his lawyers at that time.&quot;Bakit kailangang dagdagan pa ang gulo?&quot; said Torre, who acted as ground commander during Duterte&#x27;s arrest. Torre <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/24/davao-regional-police-chief-to-assume-cidg-director-post-014">headed the Davao regional police</a> before serving as CIDG chief. He also led the two-week operation to arrest controversial religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of the Dutertes.Vice President Duterte said her father&#x27;s arrest was an affront to the country&#x27;s sovereignty and described it as &quot;state kidnapping.&quot;The Marcos administration rejected this allegation, saying the arrest was lawful because of an existing International Criminal Court warrant that was coursed through the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol, of which the country is a member.Duterte insisted that the ICC lacked jurisdiction over the Philippines and the former president because of the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute in 2019.The International Criminal Court took ex-President Duterte into custody Wednesday to face charges over his war on drugs.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/13/rep-paolo-is-third-duterte-scion-to-seek-dad-s-release-from-icc-detention-1236">Paolo Duterte seeks Supreme Court order to stop PH cooperaton with ICC</a></div>The ICC, based in The Hague, believes there are &quot;reasonable grounds&quot; to charge Duterte with murder as a crime against humanity, as an &quot;indirect co-perpetrator&quot; during the anti-drug campaign that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands.&quot;I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this,&quot; Duterte said in a video posted to his and a close advisor&#x27;s Facebook pages.&quot;I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible,&quot; said the 79-year-old, the first Asian former head of state to appear before the ICC.A spokesman confirmed Duterte was in court custody after he arrived in Rotterdam by private jet.A vehicle thought to be carrying Duterte drove into the ICC detention center in The Hague past a crowd of dozens of supporters, some shouting: &quot;Bring him back&quot; and waving national flags.Duterte will be held there until an initial court appearance, likely in the coming days.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/13/ex-president-duterte-arrives-at-icc-detention-center-0901">Ex-president Duterte arrives at ICC detention center</a></div><div>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</div>

The chief of the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group admitted Thursday that he was the one who ordered to block Vice President Sara Duterte's entry into Villamor Air Base on Tuesday, March 11.

The chief of the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group admitted Thursday that he was the one who ordered to block Vice President Sara Duterte's entry into Villamor Air Base on Tuesday, March 11.