MANILA: Vice President Sara Duterte said that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, told her to have him cremated in The Hague, Netherlands should he die while detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
The vice president made the statement following her visit to her father on Tuesday (July 8) (Manila time) at the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
“He said that if he dies here in the Netherlands, he doesn’t want his body to be brought back to the Philippines. He just wants to be cremated here, and only his ashes should be brought home,” said Sara in a chance interview.
Sara, however, said she told her father that they will have to discuss it further in the future, as she is “not pro-cremation,” to which the latter responded that he will think about haunting her as a ghost if she doesn’t abide by his request.
Asked what she felt about her father’s supposed last wishes, Sara responded that it is only “natural” for his age.
“Well, that’s probably natural for someone who’s 80 years old, right? To think that way,” said Sara.
“So it’s also a good thing that we all know his last wishes, so that they can be fulfilled when the time comes,” she added.
Sara previously stated that her father had grown significantly thinner while he was detained at the ICC, but clarified that he appeared to be healthy.
This time, Sara noted that while Duterte had grown slim, the look suited him better, and that his skin complexion had even improved.
The ICC currently has custody of the elder Duterte after he was arrested and sent to The Hague for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s bloody war against drugs.
His infamous war against drugs led to at least 6,000 people dead, with human rights groups reporting at least 20,000. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
