VERONICA “Kitty” Duterte, the youngest daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, broke her silence on Thursday with a defiant message, following a major legal setback for her father at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Her statement comes after the ICC Appeals Chamber officially confirmed the court’s jurisdiction over the investigation into the “war on drugs,” rejecting the appeal filed by the former president’s defense team.
In an interview with Alvin & Tourism, which quickly gained traction on social media, Kitty Duterte addressed her father’s critics directly, suggesting that political and legal opposition would fail to diminish his legacy.
“No matter how much you hate PRRD, there will always be millions who loved him just as much or even more,” she wrote. “If you think you will win, no, you won’t, because either way—Invictus.”
The term “Invictus” (Latin for “unconquered”) is a direct reference to the Victorian-era poem by William Ernest Henley, which famously celebrates resilience and personal autonomy in the face of adversity.
She echoed the poem’s closing lines to characterize her father’s stance:
“I am the master of my own destiny, I am the captain of my own soul.”
By rejecting the defense’s appeal, the ICC has cleared a significant procedural hurdle, allowing the prosecutor to continue investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during the administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The Duterte defense team had argued that the ICC lost jurisdiction when the Philippines officially withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019. However, the court maintained that it retains authority over crimes allegedly committed while the country was still a member state.
While human rights advocates hailed the ICC ruling as a step toward accountability, the Duterte family continues to frame the proceedings as an infringement on Philippine sovereignty and a personal attack on a leader they believe remains a hero to millions.
