Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, wants to be cremated in the Netherlands if he passes away while detained in The Hague.
Currently visiting her father in the Netherlands, Sara shared in an interview that Duterte made it clear he does not want his body returned to the Philippines if he dies abroad. “He said if he dies here, he wants to be cremated, and only his ashes brought home,” she said.
While Sara personally doesn’t support cremation, she acknowledged her father’s wishes, noting, “Let’s talk about it again next time. I’m not for cremation, but he is.”
She also said it’s natural for someone his age—Duterte is now 80—to be thinking about such matters. “It’s good that we know his final wishes so we can honor them if the time comes,” she added.
Earlier, Sara shared concerns over her father’s health, describing him as “skin and bones” since being detained. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 by Philippine authorities under a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). He is currently held in Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s war on drugs.