Sara Duterte: 'I can hire a gunman for P5K' to illustrate gun violence in PH

Vice President Sara Duterte, speaking before supporters in The Hague, Netherlands, questioned the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) assertion that all alleged victims in its case against former President Rodrigo Duterte were casualties of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. Duterte argued that "the implementation of a program, whether it was good or bad, is not a crime against humanity." She added that the ICC has yet to establish that those listed as victims were all killed because of the drug war, claiming gun violence is common in the Philippines. To illustrate her point, Duterte gave a hypothetical example: "I have a husband. My husband has a mistress. I can hire a gunman for 5,000 pesos to kill the mistress. That is how—for 5,000 pesos—that is how bad gun violence in the Philippines is." She suggested that killings could stem from other motives, stating, "It can be that it is a crime of passion. It can be murder because of a third party in a relationship. It can be plain hold up. So how can they say now that all the victims there are victims of the drug war?" The Vice President also criticized the pace of the ICC proceedings, noting that over a year had passed since the former president’s transfer to The Hague without significant developments. She maintained that Rodrigo Duterte should be released, asserting he is neither a flight risk nor likely to obstruct proceedings. Source: GMA News Philippines