By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – National Security Adviser Eduardo Año played a key role in the arrest of his former boss, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Jonvic Remulla.
Remulla said Año was part of the core group that planned the arrest of Duterte. Other members of the group were Remulla, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
Remulla added that Año shared with the group all the intelligence information he gathered regarding Duterte, including his departure and return to the country from his recent Hong Kong trip.
Año previously served as Interior Secretary during the Duterte administration.
“I think he still shares some affection for the former President. They had a very good working relationship, but he is a professional, he is a soldier, and he is a gentleman, so he served his role, and the information that he gathered and shared were very reliable,” Remulla said in an interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel’s On Point program.
“Such as, the conversations on whether or not they would go home. I think the lawyers were prevailing for him to stay in Hong Kong or in China, and the children prevailed for him to go home,” he added. “Parang ganun ang lumalabas (based) sa mga sources.”
PALACE: NO BETRAYAL
Meanwhile, Malacañang denied the allegations of betrayal after it assisted the Interpol in implementing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Duterte.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro defended the administration’s move after Marcos allegedly promised Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa that the government will not help ICC in arresting Duterte.
“Kung iisipin po natin, wala pong ginawang betrayal ang Pangulo kanino man po dahil po tinutupad lamang ang sarili nating batas,” Castro said in an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita on Friday.
“So mas mahirap po siguro magkaroon ng betrayal ang administrasyon sa sarili nating batas. So wala pong betrayal kung kanino man po kung ito man po nagpapatupad ng pag-cooperate sa Interpol,” she added.
Castro further said that what the government did was regular and based on Republic Act 9851 of the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity./PN
