VP Sara back in PH, told to prepare for impeachment trial

National

AWAY for nearly a month, Vice President Sara Duterte is back in the country.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed that Duterte arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday, April 6, at 9:56 p.m. on Emirates Airlines flight EK 334.

The vice president flew to the Netherlands last March 12 to help her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, set up his legal team for his coming trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

“My work here is done,” she told reporters in The Hague per a report by Philippine Star.

While in the Netherlands, Sara arranged the hiring of veteran ICC trial lawyer Nicholas Kaufman and facilitated interviews for other aspiring members of her father’s legal team.

Duterte had also been visiting her father at the Scheveningen Prison.

Now that she is back in the country, Sara would be addressing “pertinent matters in the coming days”, the OVP said.

House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V said the Vice President can start preparing for her impeachment trial.

“It’s nice that she is now back and she has to prepare for the trial next month. In terms of her trip, it is a personal trip and we understand her for that. So, welcome back Ma’am,” Ortega said in the same report.

Sara has been impeached by the House of Representatives. She was accused of misusing f P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds.

Ortega noted that the Vice President has not responded to the allegations hurled against her.

“None was explained during the briefings, hearings. There were no proper answers and they appeared evasive on the issues. There is an impeachment and they cannot just ignore it by not answering,” Ortega said.