MANILA – Malacañang has called out Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra after he recused from petitions in relation to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to alleged crimes against humanity.
According to Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro, Guevarra should reflect if he is still capable of serving as the government’s top lawyer.
“Siguro mas maganda kung mismo si SolGen ang mag-assess sa sarili niya kung siya pa po ba ay nararapat na tumayo bilang Solicitor General,” Castro said in a media briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.
Castro added that Philippine government officials who are respondents in the case would have to hire another legal counsel, possibly the Department of Justice.
In response to Castro’s remarks, Guevarra said he is leaving it to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. if he is to be replaced as the government’s top lawyer.
“I leave it to the President. The OSG is not only the government’s counsel; it is also the tribune of the people. The President, in his wisdom, fully understands this,” Guevarra said.
Meanwhile, Castro also clarified that, despite Guevarra’s recusal, he never said it is wrong for the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in implementing the arrest order against Duterte.
“First, ginagamit po kasi ito ng ibang mga partido na ‘di umano naniniwala ang SolGen na may kamalian sa ginawa ng pamahalaan sa pakikipagtulungan sa Interpol,” Castro said.
“Maliwanag po, kung inyong nabasa ang manifestation ni SolGen Menardo Guevarra, binanggit lamang po niya na siya po ay naniniwala na walang hurisdiskyon ang ICC sa Pilipinas. Iyan din naman po ang tinuran noon pa ng Pangulo,” she added.
The OSG on Monday filed a manifestation before the Supreme Court seeking to recuse itself from the habeas corpus petitions filed by the children of Duterte to secure his release and return from The Hague in the Netherlands.
In the motion, the OSG said it “may not be able to effectively represent” government agencies because of its firm stance that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
The OSG stressed that it “has consistently maintained, both in its submissions before the ICC and in its public statements, that the case of the Philippines was not admissible and that the ICC failed to timely exercise its jurisdiction.”/PN
