Mga kababayan,

Today, our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen—even a former President at that —to foreign powers. This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nation’s independence.

Worse, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is being denied his fundamental rights. Since he was taken this morning, he has not been brought before any competent judicial authority to assert his rights and to allow him to avail of reliefs provided by law. As I write this, he is being forcibly taken to The Hague tonight. This is not justice—this is oppression and persecution.

This act shows the world that this government is willing to abandon its own citizen and betray the very essence of our sovereignty and national dignity.

God save the Philippines.

SARA Z. DUTERTE Vice President of the Philippines