MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte is facing heavy backlash after stating that she warned her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, that he could suffer the same fate as Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. if he returns to the Philippines.

Duterte is currently detained in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity. His daughter’s remarks—implying a martyr’s fate similar to Aquino’s assassination—have sparked outrage from critics, Malacañang, and the Aquino family.

Speaking at a rally with her father’s supporters in the Netherlands on Monday, VP Sara Duterte said:

“Your desire to go home, that would be the end of your life. You will become Ninoy Aquino Jr.”

She then quoted her father: “If that is my fate, so be it, as long as I’m back in the Philippines.”

Malacañang: ‘Far-Fetched’

The Palace quickly dismissed Sara Duterte’s remarks as absurd, reminding the public that the former president had once compared himself to Adolf Hitler—not Aquino.

“We never heard former President Duterte compare himself to Ninoy, but rather to Hitler,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. She pointed out that Duterte infamously declared he would be “happy to slaughter” drug addicts, likening it to Hitler’s genocide.

“So, it is very far-fetched to compare former President Duterte to Ninoy Aquino, who had no record of mass murder or crimes against humanity. Former President Duterte himself preferred to compare himself to Hitler,” Castro added.

Aquino Family Fires Back

The Aquino family also rejected the comparison.

“If we study history, we will see that what happened to Ninoy is different from what former President Duterte is going through now,” they said in a statement.

Aquino was assassinated in 1983 upon his return to the Philippines to challenge the Marcos dictatorship. Duterte, meanwhile, is facing trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged extrajudicial killings during his presidency.

‘The Nerve!’—Luke Espiritu Blasts Sara

Outspoken lawyer, activist, and senatorial candidate Luke Espiritu didn’t hold back.

“The nerve! Yung tatay mo takbuhin, tumakbo sa China di lang napagbigyan, si Ninoy hinarap ang bala ng mga Marcos. Yung tatay mo mamamatay-tao, si Ninoy lumaban para sa karapatang pantao,” Espiritu fumed.

Espiritu added, “Yung tatay mo ang nagpalibing sa pumatay kay Ninoy sa Libingan ng mga Bayani. Kayo ng tatay mo ang naging instrumental sa pagbalik ng mga Marcos sa kapangyarihan, si Ninoy ang naging instrumental para sila bumagsak.

“Espesyal na katangian at pambihirang level ng kapal ng mukha ang kailangan para di mo mapansin ang kontradiksyon sa mga sinasabi mo,” Espiritu stressed.

‘Duterte Will Never Be a Martyr’

Political commentator Gerry Cacanindin also ripped apart the comparison, calling it “outright sacrilegious.”

“Ninoy was a political prisoner who faced torture, a sham trial, and a death sentence. Duterte is in a European prison with legal representation and decent living conditions,” he said.

Cacanindin mocked the contrast: “Ninoy nearly died on hunger strike. Duterte complains about Dutch food, so they serve him Filipino rice.”

“Duterte will never be a martyr. He will either come home seeking revenge or rot in prison as an enemy of humanity. Stop this idiocy,” he concluded.

📷 VP Sara Duterte FB and Malacañang FB