Sara Duterte warns father of potential dangers returning home

Vice President Sara Duterte has warned her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, about the dangers of returning to the Philippines. She suggested he could meet the same fate as the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. if he comes back. This comment followed Rodrigo Duterte's announcement of his intention to return and run for mayor of Davao City. Rodrigo Duterte is currently held in The Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity. Despite this, he has filed his application to be a candidate for mayor. Vice President Sara told him that returning could lead to serious consequences. "You will become Ninoy Aquino Jr.," she said during a speech in the Netherlands, referencing the historical figure assassinated at the airport named after him in 1983. Ninoy Aquino's death sparked public outrage, contributing to the end of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Through her comments, Sara Duterte is linking her father's potential return to the fraught political history of the Philippines. She has previously hinted at connections between the Marcos family and the assassination of Aquino.